White Flag
by Mrs Pettyfer
Summary: They say when you walk down the aisle, flashes of memories resurface and the time seems to drag forever.  It was true, Rose had concluded. Her past with Scorpius never seemed clearer than it did in these few moments as she made her way toward him.
1. I Will Go Down With This Ship

******Category: **Harry Potter  
******Author:** Mrs Pettyfer**  
****Title: **White Flag  
******Pairing(s): **Rose/Scorpius, Lily II/Scorpius, Albus/OC**  
Genre: **Action/Romance/Angst  
**Rating:** M for language and possible violence  
**A/N:** Hello and welcome to my third story published here! So I decided to bring this over from my HPFF account for you guys to read. It's based of the song White Flag, by Dido. I hope you enjoy it and reviews are always appreciated. You have no idea how feedback fuels an writer's writing =). There's probably a few spelling/grammar errors that I missed so I apologize for those. I think putting a face to the character is important, so I include the casting of featured characters per chapter. I strongly suggest Googling them =). Enjoy!

**Casting: **Karen Gillan as Rose Weasley; Alex Pettyfer as Scorpius Malfoy

* * *

"I'll let it pass and hold my tongue  
And you will think that I've moved on." - _White Flag_, Dido

**Ch 1 - I Will Go Down With This Ship**

Rose Weasley was gazing intently at the array of roses surrounding her. The whites, yellows, pinks, and even reds merging together perfectly, none of which dominated the other nor did it clash in color. The roses lined the aisle intricately, placed along the small white chairs that were facing the altar.

There were various murmurs issuing throughout the cathedral, eyes set on Rose in her silky gown; her auburn hair falling in large wavy curls around her face. She was clutching a beautiful boutique filled with more roses. A weak smile broke her lips.

She allowed her eyes to drift toward the end of the aisle.

And that's when hazel eyes met grey.

_"Now you be sure to beat him in every way you can Rosie, you got that?" said her father, Ron Weasley, in an unnecessarily demanding tone. _

_"Oh stop it Ron," scolded her mother, Hermione. She smiled warmly at Rose, running her hand through her daughter's hair in a motherly fashion. _

_"I will dad," said Rose with a smile, stealing a glance at the boy a few yards away._

_She didn't know the Malfoy boy, but from her glance he seemed innocent enough. He was hugging his father in a loving way, their blond heads clashing horribly with the amount of sunshine creeping in through the windows. The boy's mother had dark black hair and high cheekbones with bright red lipstick that was almost too painful to look at. She smiled at her son before giving him a kiss on the head. _

_Maybe her father was overacting. This wouldn't be the first time, anyway. _

_Ten minutes later found Rose searching for a compartment. Alone._

_Her cousin Albus had abandoned her the moment they had gotten on the Hogwarts Express, chasing after James in a very pathetic manner. Rose knew he was nervous about what house he'd be in, but honestly. He was overacting a bit in her opinion._

_Rose glanced inside every compartment as the train slowly began moving away from Platform 9 and 3/4. They were all nearly full and she couldn't even find any of her cousins. _

_All nine of them. What good luck she had. _

_She sighed, shifting her weight with her luggage. It was getting really heavy to be quite frank. _

_There was a sneeze and Rose turned to her left. The compartment was empty, except for one person. _

_And that was when hazel eyes met grey._

_Without much thought, and half because she wanted to spite her father, she slid inside the compartment and__ took a seat opposite the Malfoy boy. She tried to smile but now half wished she had sat next to him in order to avoid this intense gaze he was smothering her with._

_"What are you staring at?" Rose finally snapped at him. She didn't like people staring at her like this, in a calculating manner. She felt her cheeks burn slightly._

_The boy arched a brow, his silvery grey eyes piercing. "Nothing special."_

_His tone was cold, far too cold for an eleven year old boy. The coldness made his eyes look like ice._

_Rose shrugged off his rude remark, pulling out her copy of A Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1. After all, she had grown up around James Potter, who was known for his jokes and sarcastic comments. She could handle this just fine, thank you very much._

_"You're a Weasley, aren't you?" asked the boy, seemingly unable to stand for silence._

_"What makes you say that?" asked Rose without looking up, turning to chapter three. She had inherited her mother's thirst for knowledge and had already read chapters one and two. _

_"Thought you looked familiar. Saw you and your family at the station. The red hair is hard to miss."_

_"And you are?" Rose prompted, starting to already dislike the boy. She glanced up eagerly._

_"Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy," he said proudly, hoisting himself up a little higher._

_The way he spoke his name made Rose want to laugh, as though anyone with any amount of intelligence would recognize this name and regard it with nothing but pure admiration._

_"Hmmm…" she began, "never heard of you."_

_She then buried her nose in her book, leaving Scorpius with a rather dumbfounded look upon his pretty little face._

It's so funny how things change, how feelings change, how people change. But Scorpius Malfoy to this day still held himself with as much confidence as he had when he was eleven years old.

He stood at the end of the aisle dressed in a solid black suit. He was tall, his muscles toned, his skin holding a naturally slight tan that contrasted greatly to his father. His sandy blond hair fell in loose curls messily and his silvery grey eyes were as striking as the moon.

Scorpius was gorgeous, there was no denying it. The way his stare held hers still made her uncomfortable, just as much as it had when they had first met.

Rose took a step forward, vaguely aware of the eyes focused in on her. She really hated attention, but being a Weasley and essentially the daughter of two war heroes, well…attention was hard to avoid.

_"Going to the match, Weasley?" Scorpius mocked in the Great Hall as he made his way pompously toward the exit dressed in his Slytherin Quidditch Robes. He had made his house team as a second year last year, and as one of the youngest Seekers at Hogwarts the attention only fueled his overlarge ego even more._

_Rose had to remind him on many occasions that her Uncle Harry was still the youngest Seeker in the last two centuries, as he had made the team as a first year. Scorpius seemed to ignore her whenever she mentioned it._

_"And why would I, Malfoy?" Rose challenged, glancing up from her breakfast._

_She wasn't as Quidditch crazy as her cousins were and had spent enough time at home watching them play._

_Scorpius stopped a few feet from the door, his posse of girls circling around him with puppy dog looks on their faces._

_Pathetic. _

_That was what it was; these girls that followed Scorpius around like he was some kind of celebrity. More attention; something he definitely did not need._

_"Then who will I blow a kiss to then after I catch the snitch?" he asked, a slow smirk forming on his lips._

_Rose's cheeks burned in embarrassment as the girls around him scoffed in irritation. Scorpius had deliberately blown her a kiss at the last match just to infuriate her and it had worked. _

_The rumors that had circulated around the school after that had put Rose over the edge of paranoia and insanity. Of course Scorpius found the whole ordeal hilarious, as did her cousin Albus. The two were probably in on it together._

_Gits._

_"Oh isn't there someone else you can torture, Malfoy?" Rose snapped at him._

_Scorpius on the other hand continued to smirk at her. "Probably. But I chose you."_

_He shot her a wink before twirling his Firebolt with ease and exiting the Great Hall._

Another step forward.

When Rose looked back, Scorpius had not changed in the slightest. Not really, that is. He was still as infuriating as he had been, still as rude and sarcastic as ever. It was almost like he thrived on tormenting her. Like every spar between the two of them fueled his existence.

And they had fought. Many, many times.

They hardly agreed on anything, and challenged each other every day. They had fought battles of deepest emotions to small, trivial differences. It didn't matter what they were fighting about because the fact of the matter was that neither of them ever believed they were wrong.

Another step.

Rose was almost halfway toward the altar. She saw familiar faces in the crowd, their expressions varying with different emotions. And that was pretty much how Rose felt in that moment.

She wasn't sure what emotion to feel. Happiness, rage, anxiousness, sadness; nothing seemed to dominate the other. Or perhaps her emotions were simply numb at the moment. Maybe she simply couldn't feel anything.

Another step.

Rose tried to smile back at the faces around her, but she couldn't manage it. She could still feel Scorpius's gaze on her, but she didn't want to look at him just yet.

She found her cousin Victoire in the crowd, her beauty standing out on its own accord. Her blond hair fell loosely down her back, giving no evidence that she had been a Weasley. Her soft blue eyes were kind, giving Rose some sort of odd comfort. Her arm was locked in Teddy Lupin's. The two had been married three years previously and still were just as happy.

How nice.

Another step.

There was Rose's mother, bent low at the edge of the aisle whispering something to Mr. Malfoy, who looked beyond his years in frustration and annoyance. Rose knew her mother and Mr. Malfoy still fired bullets at one another, but they were now able to be civil. Since when did this hatred between the Weasley's and Malfoy's end, anyway?

_"Scorpius Malfoy, you are the foulest piece of scum I have ever met in my life!" Rose scorned angrily, her eyes blazing with fire._

_The two were bickering at their shared lab station in fifth year, each absolutely sure they were brewing it properly and that the other was not._

_"Did it ever occur to you Weasley that I have just as high marks as you in here? Hence why Professor MacMillan paired us together?" Scorpius shot back angrily._

_Rose wanted to ask him if he seriously just said 'hence' in a sentence but decided to rally back with,_

_"Just because you have high marks Malfoy doesn't give you the right to assume you're right."_

_"Nor does it you, Weasley."_

_The two glared at each other for a solid minute, each refusing to drop their gazes. Professor MacMillan made his way over to their station hesitantly, aware his top two students were having one of their days. Sometimes they would get along fine, almost like friends ever. But other days, more often days, they would fight. It didn't always end so pretty._

_"How's it going, you two?" he asked pleasantly, expecting the worst._

_"I can't work with him, Professor," said Rose, throwing Scorpius a dark glance._

_"Miss Weasley…Mr. Malfoy. I am more than aware of your utter dislike of one another. But if you have any wish in becoming Head Boy and Girl, you are going to have to find a way to put aside your differences. Now please, set an example and work together on this, will you?"_

_Professor MacMillan gave them a disappointing look, the type that made Rose feel horrible on the inside. She hated disappointing people, especially her professors. _

_After a few moments of silence, Rose sighed. "Maybe you're right Malfoy. Maybe the potion needs the extra moonstone to get a thicker consistency."_

_Scorpius arched a brow. "What was that? Did you say I was right?"_

_"I said maybe."_

_"Wow, Weasley. With that thinking maybe this project won't be so bad."_

_Rose rolled her eyes, tossing in some chopped Knottgrass. "Don't get your hopes up, Malfoy."_

And that was it. That was the moment that had grazed over the boundary of hate amongst the Malfoys and Weasleys. From that moment Rose and Scorpius were able to realize that something other than hatred was building between them. Perhaps it had been all along, but it took five years to get there.

Another step.

Of course that didn't stop her father from ranting and raving about her new friendship with Scorpius Malfoy, but after about a week of raging, followed by a week of moping, he had come to civil terms with it. Or maybe Hermione had put her foot down on the subject. Rose wasn't sure.

She was almost there now; she could see her cousins Albus and James staring at her as they stood next to Scorpius. Albus nodded to her, mentally telling her to stay strong. He looked so much like Aunt Ginny in an odd way, even though his hair was as dark as Uncle Harry's.

Another step.

Rose was so close she could now see the distinct color of Scorpius's silver eyes, an endless ocean of grey.

She took a sharp breath, her legs aching with every step she took. Her entire body ached quite actually, but that was beside the point. Today she couldn't complain, that she had promised herself. No, she hated complaining; especially when it was her fault.

_They were patrolling the corridors on the fifth floor as Head Boy and Girl, wands out and lit on the tips. _

_"I still can't believe you caught that snitch," Rose announced with a snort. It had been the luckiest dive she had seen up to date. With James now gone, Gryffindor was suffering in their attempts to put together a decent Quidditch team, though Hugo had certainly contributed as an excellent Beater._

_"When will you realize Rose that I'm nothing less than extraordinary when it comes to Quidditch?" Scorpius goaded, his arrogance reaching new heights._

_Rose snorted in a very un-ladylike manner. "You overestimate yourself Scorpius."_

_"But not you Rosie," he said with a wink, giving her a playful nudge._

_Rosie._

_It was the same name her father and Albus called her. Rosie wasn't her favorite of nicknames, but she never felt the need to tell Scorpius not to call her that for some unknown reason. When they had started calling each other by their first names, Rose didn't know. _

_She arched a brow at him. _

_"You always surprise me. I seem to underestimate you," Scorpius added as they rounded a corner._

_"Does that bother you, Scorpius?" Rose promoted, glancing his way. _

_"It intrigues me, actually," he said, flashing another brilliant smirk he was famous for. A family trait, Rose's mother had told her. _

_"I intrigue you?" she questioned, highly amused yet deeply interested in his answer._

_"You do a lot of things to me, Rose. Intrigue is one of the more positive things."_

_She couldn't help but laugh. _

_"Well, that's not my fault," she said after a moment. They were now heading back toward their dormitories._

_"It is actually," he disagreed lightly. "But you're more infuriating than intriguing so don't get too excited."_

_"Infuriating?" she questioned. Funny, that was a word she would use to describe him._

_"Of course. But maybe I wouldn't like you as much if you weren't."_

There had been times like this when Scorpius had given Rose mixed signals and backwards compliments, not really owning up to what he wanted to say, but flipping it around to confuse those he was speaking to. It was annoying really, to mentally struggle when someone was almost giving you a compliment.

Another step.

Her mother was now sitting with Aunt Ginny in the second row, her eyes almost in tears. Aunt Ginny was looking down, refusing to meet Rose's eye. But Rose had to break her gaze away. No, she couldn't stand to see that look in her mother's eyes for another second. Her father too was giving her the same look, with eyes less watery.

But she wouldn't respond to this sort of pity. No, she certainly would not. She was a strong and independent witch.

Rose found Scorpius again but this time his eyes were soft and uncertain. His breaths were sharp, nerves seeming to get the best of him. Rose swallowed hard, the overwhelming scent of roses overcoming her senses.

The large ornate windows were cracked open; the warm summer breeze filing into the large cathedral slowly; the soft music in the background drowning out the buzzing of bees that had slipped through the cracks.

Another step.

Just a few more steps and she would be there.

You know they say when you walk down the aisle, flashes of memories resurface and the time seems to drag forever. It was true, Rose had concluded. Her past with Scorpius never seemed clearer than it did in these few moments as she made her way toward him.

He was watching her with a distant look, his eyes remaining uncertain.

Scorpius Malfoy was never uncertain, only a few times had Rose really seen the confusion lingering in his eyes.

_"Rose, I wanted to ask you something," said Scorpius, his tone less confident than ever. It was almost shaky, something she had never before witnessed with him._

_"What is it, Scorpius?" Rose asked, glancing up from her Charm's Essay._

_It was a week before graduation and the two of them were sitting in a pair of armchairs in the Room of Requirement. _

_The room had been opened to celebrate the end of the year, and a party of about thirty sixth and seventh years were currently enjoying music, food, and banned box of goodies from Uncle Fred and George's joke shop. _

_Rose would reprimand them later. Now she needed to finish her essay._

_"Do you ever…do you ever think about us?"_

_Rose knitted her brows in confusion. "What do you mean…us?"_

_Scorpius sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. "You remember when you dated that idiot, Tiberius McLaggen?"_

_Rose snorted in amusement. She wouldn't really call going to Hogsmeade for dinner one time 'dating.' _

_"I remember going to dinner with him," she corrected, "yes."_

_"Well I hated it," he said bluntly._

_Rose didn't know what to say. In truth, she understood what he was saying because it was the same way she felt every time he was with a girl. And mind you, he was with much more girls than she had been with boys._

_"I like you Rose," Scorpius continued, running his hand shakily through his curls once again. It was a habit caused by nerves Rose had noticed. "Probably more than I should."_

_There was a moment when Rose thought she might burst. On one hand, she wanted to smack him and tell him to get a grip. On the other, she had never been more elated than this moment at hearing these words._

_"You say that like it's a problem," she said with a smirk. _

_"It is a problem," he said matter-of-factly._

_"And why's that?" she asked, inching closer toward him subconsciously._

_"Because it's going to be a real interesting dinner when I tell your father I'm your boyfriend."_

_"Oh isn't there someone else you could have as your girlfriend?" she asked, a grin forming on her lips._

_He returned it with a grin of his own. "Probably. But I chose you."_

_And with that, he pulled her close and allowed his lips to crash down on hers._

_It was the first time she wanted the kiss, physically or blown in the air. And this time, she didn't care if anyone was watching._

It was every bit as perfect as those romantic moments read in novels. Rose had been surrounded by music and people yet she heard and felt nothing except for Scorpius. All that mattered in that moment was the two of them, trapped inside their little bubble of bliss.

It was the first time she had allowed herself to be honest regarding her feelings for Scorpius. Perhaps she had known for years that she fancied him, but never had the guts to admit it.

Part of her was intimidated by him. He was always circled with friends and girls everywhere he went. He was right up with her at the top of the class, rich, good looking, popular, you name it.

Not that Rose wasn't any of these things. But she was modest and humble. Scorpius was extravagant, and did everything big and bold. Nothing was private with him; nothing was ever simple and peaceful. No, Scorpius always had to ruin things with complications.

And that was exactly what he did.

Rose stopped short of Scorpius, allowing herself to have one last longing glance into his eyes. He gave her a look that almost sent her into his arms but she stayed put. Words of things she should have said or done formed on her lips but she remembered her promise.

She would not complain about things that were her own fault.

So with this in mind, Rose stepped to the side with one last sad smile to Scorpius. She stepped aside, so the bride could make her way down the aisle.

* * *

**A/N: *ducks* I know, I know! You'll find out next chapter who the bride is. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter! I've got 4 chapters ready to go but I'm going to wait until I get feedback before I post. I don't want to post too fast or anything. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Hold My Tongue

**A/N: Wow you guys are hostile! lol I couldn't leave you waiting, so here's chapter two. I have a feeling I'm going to get some hate my way with this chapter...lol but do give the story and characters a chance, okay? Especially now that you'll see exactly what happened. Check chapter one to see the casting of Rose and Scorpius. Enjoy!**

**Casting: **Rachel Hurd Wood as Lily Potter

* * *

"And I won't put my hands up and surrender  
There will be no white flag above my door." - _White Flag_, Dido

**Ch 2 - Hold My Tongue**

_They were sitting in the all white tea room at Malfoy Manor, though both cups of tea lay untouched and cold. _

"_Marry me, Rose," said Scorpius, taking her hand in his own._

'_Marry me,' he had said. Not, 'will you marry me?' It was a demand, not a question. He was implying that there was no option to say no._

_Because Scorpius always thought he would get whatever he wanted, no matter what it was. _

"_Is this your way of asking, Scorpius?" Rose asked, trying her best to avoid answering his demand._

_Scorpius sighed, rubbing his eyes with his free hand. "Come on Rosie, we've been through this. We've been together for three years now. How many times are you going to shoot me down? I've said I was sorry I don't know how many times."_

"_It doesn't change the fact of what happened, Scorpius. How can I trust you?"_

_He sighed again, pulling his hand away to rest his face in his palms. _

_A year ago Rose and Scorpius had been invited to a Ministry benefit. Rose was exhausted from Auror training and opted not to go. But Scorpius had gone, and Rose eventually decided at last minute to go. She went to surprise Scorpius, but found a surprise of her own. She had walked right in on him and her cousin Lily, their lips pressed firmly together. Rose had been in such a state of shock that she left the party without even finding out what happened._

_Apparently the two were completely drunk and Scorpius claims to this day he thought she was Rose, even though Lily had slightly more red hair and green eyes. Lily was mortified, and Rose gave her the benefit of the doubt. Lily was a sweet girl with high morals and small track record when it came to men. There was no doubt that alcohol consumption was a contributing factor, but it still hurt Rose to think about it even if it had meant nothing to the two of them. _

"_It was a year ago, Rose. I was drunk, she was drunk. And it was just one meaningless kiss, nothing more," said Scorpius. His tone was very smooth and controlled despite the amount of times this conversation had taken place._

"_It would make sense for you to like Lily," Rose stated honestly, her eyes drifting to the marbled floor._

_And she was telling the truth. Lily was beautiful, with large light green eyes and soft red hair; her skin as pale and smooth as porcelain. She was very quiet around most people and had probably had a total of five arguments in her entire life. Unlike Rose, she was very graceful and elegant. She was the type of girl that guys like Scorpius would want to date. _

_The pure, innocent, sweet girl next door with envied beauty._

_Not the smart, bookworms like Rose that didn't care if their clothes matched because they were too busy focusing on their career; the kind that went days without shaving their legs because they were too concerned on finishing a report or allowed dirt under their unpainted fingernails. _

_No, guys like Scorpius dated the Princesses. Rose was more like the knight. She was tough, brave, courageous, and feisty; not fancy, prissy, elegant, and charming. _

"_Yeah, it would make sense to like her," Scorpius agreed. "But I don't love her, Rose. I love you."_

_Rose stared at him and wanted with all her heart to believe his words. But she just wasn't sure. Scorpius had proposed three times since the incident with Lily. _

_And each time Rose had turned him down. _

_She turned him down for several reasons. One was because of the obvious, she wasn't sure if she could trust him. She had grown up with him, knew the way he was around women. So should she really be surprised by what happened? Probably not._

_Another reason was because she just wasn't ready. They were only twenty, and Rose had just graduated her entry level training to becoming an Auror and still had a ways to go. Scorpius would take over the Malfoy business eventually, working with trade companies from other Wizarding countries. They weren't settled enough in Rose's opinion, and marriage was something that should be taken with care rather than rushed. _

_And the last reason was subconsciously, Rose believed he would keep asking until she said yes. It was a very selfish thought._

"_I'm just not ready to say yes, Scorpius," said Rose with a sigh. _

_His gaze was colder now, his eyes narrowing at not getting what he wanted. He pulled back slightly, his posture going stiff._

"_Can't you just wait?" she asked._

_There was silence, but Rose knew his answer. He wouldn't want to wait much longer. He was the most impatient person she knew; especially when it was something he wanted. _

_But how bad did he want this? Bad enough to wait as long as it takes for her to say yes?_

_She wasn't sure. _

"_When are you going to marry me, Rose?"he asked harshly, breaking the thick silence._

"_I don't know," she answered honestly, chewing her lower lip anxiously._

_Scorpius stood so suddenly his tea cup toppled to the floor but he didn't seem to care. Rose glanced up anxiously. _

_He walked over to the large marbled fireplace, staring intently at the dancing flames. _

"_I have to go to Paris," he said, his back now turned to her._

_Silence. _

"_For how long?" Rose asked after a moment, hating more and more these business trips that took him so far away from home._

_Scorpius turned back to face her, his hands resting in his pockets casually._

"_A year."_

_A year. The words rang in her head. An entire year? Rose swallowed thickly._

"_When do you leave?"_

"_In four days."_

_His tone was cutting, his face wiped blank of emotion. Rose hated when he acted like this; throwing his Malfoy wall up._

_She sighed, her brows furrowing. This was going to complicate things. Scorpius had never been gone for more than two weeks on a business trip._

"_Can't your father go?" she asked, hating how desperate she suddenly sounded._

_Her eyes bore holes into the floor. _

"_He is going, Rose," he said in a tone that sounded very practiced and forced. "But I still have to go. I was hoping you'd go with me."_

_Rose glanced back up. "As your wife?"_

"_Yes."_

_What an idea. In a perfect world, it would have been ideal. But of course this was the real world, and the real world was far from perfect. The real world held promises and obligations._

"_I can't go, Scorpius. I've only just graduated and start my apprenticeship any day now. You know this…"_

"_Rose," he scoffed angrily. "You don't have to work if you marry me!"_

"_I want to work!" Rose half shouted at him, rising to his level. She only came to his shoulders, but his height had nothing on her. "My family was greatly affected by dark wizards Scorpius! Everyday my uncle works hard to bring them in. And I want to be a part of that. I want to be the one to see that these…monsters… get what they deserve."_

_She was getting really angry, her mother's feisty temper kicking in. Scorpius didn't understand because his family had been on the opposite side of the war. They hadn't lost valuable members and friends. Rose had seen the hurt and pain in her families' eyes; they had lost so many important people in their lives; especially Uncle Harry. _

_Scorpius shook his head, seeming frustrated and maybe perhaps hurt. "You know what Rose, I know how ambitious you are and I know how important becoming an Auror is for you. And I respect what you want to do for your family. But, I have to go to Paris and I wish you could see how…ideal it would be for you to join me."_

_He paused, allowing his eyes to drift back into the flames. "I shouldn't have asked when I already knew your answer. I just…" – he paused, pursing his lips – "I just thought maybe you'd rather go with me than stay here. I guess not."_

_Guilt washed over Rose as his words sent her heart plummeting. Of course she would rather go with him. She loved him and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. But she just couldn't go. She couldn't be one of those girls who threw all their dreams and ambitions out the window for a boy. Because what if, Merlin forbid, they split up? And she was left with nothing but a record for graduating without pursing?_

_Who would want to give her a job when she spent the last year shopping and living the high life in Paris? They would see her as a girl who had gone through the training, only to throw it all away to move away with a boy. _

_And she would not allow herself to be hired based only on her name and who her parents were. No, she was Hermione Granger's daughter and would not stand for that type of nonsense. Rose wanted to receive what she earned. _

"_I want to go Scorpius," she said, reaching out for his hand. But he pulled it away. _

"_Not bad enough though," he said quietly._

"_Just don't go," she said; her voice barely a whisper. _

_For a moment he looked torn, like he wanted to say something more. But he quickly rearranged his features to that of indifference._

"_We've reached an impasse Rose. I'm not going to stay and you aren't going to marry me. So I guess the question is…who is going to leave first?"_

_His tone was cold, ruthless. It was an unknown Scorpius Malfoy she was talking to. _

"_Scorpius, I—" _

"_Goodbye Rose."_

_And with that, Scorpius left the room, leaving Rose nearly in tears._

Four days later Scorpius left for Paris without another goodbye to Rose. She proceeded to extensive Auror training, which was strenuous and difficult. But that was what she wanted; anything to keep her mind from thinking of him.

Time passed slowly with his absence and she had to stop herself on more than one occasion not to Floo to Paris and beg him to take her back. But she stood her ground, knowing he too would do the same. They were both stubborn that way.

She was so busy with training that she hardly saw her friends or family. Albus seemed to have vanished off the planet, only visiting Rose occasionally, which was odd for him. James usually stopped in on the Auror Training weekly, given the fact that though he may not be an Auror, he was definitely trained well by his father and mother. Still, Rose found herself lonelier than ever and lucky for her, Dominique always managed to find an excuse to visit almost daily.

Rose kept track of the days, knowing Scorpius would return in a year. She didn't know what she would say, but 'I want to marry you' was definitely a possibility. It wasn't until he had gone did she really want to say yes. The saying 'you don't know what you have until it's gone' rang threw her mind every day.

But when he returned, he didn't return alone.

And he didn't return single.

As if on cue, the little band behind the rows of guests changed tunes to the traditional march of the bride. Everyone stood and directed their attention to the end of the aisle. Rose allowed herself a glance, feeling a pain rip through her chest.

Lily Potter, soon to be Malfoy, was a radiant beauty. Her arm was clutched inside her fathers, who wore an attempted smile. Lily was dressed in a long white gown with diamond embellishments; her hair swept into an elegant twist. She lit up the room, her smile as sweet as ever.

Rose wanted to cry.

"_I'm marrying Lily, Rose."_

_If possible, Rose felt her heart stop in her chest. Or she would have, if her body hadn't gone numb and cold._

_Scorpius had returned from Paris three days ago with Lily and the press made sure to capture this glorious moment. Rose had seen it in the Daily Prophet. _

_And so had the entire Wizarding community. Humiliation had possibly been redefined._

_The two had met in Paris while Lily was studying interior design. Apparently they went out for drinks…one thing led to another and as the year ended, they became engaged. Lily had balled in Rose's arms, stating how guilty she felt but that Scorpius made it clear they were over. _

_Over._

_Rose must have missed that in their last conversation. _

_As Lily sobbed, Rose wondered how come she was the one consoling Lily, but then again this wasn't something new. Rose was strong, and Lily was a very fragile little thing. _

_Lily had proclaimed her love for Scorpius, but said if Rose still had feelings for him in any way she would not marry him. Naturally, Rose wanted to take Lily up on her offer but she couldn't find it in her heart to. Because whether or not she wanted to admit it, she had turned Scorpius down. Was it her fault someone else had said yes? _

_What would she say, anyway? 'No Lily you can't marry him because he's supposed to ask me so I can turn him down again?'_

_Yeah, that was really logical. Stupid, stupid Rose._

"_Why?" Rose asked thickly, setting down her glass of wine._

_The two were at a little café in London; Scorpius's idea, probably to be in public so Rose didn't murder him._

_Not that being in public would stop her._

_Scorpius had gone cold, colder than Rose remembered. His posture was stiff, his jaw was tightened. He resembled his father and grandfather greatly, and that frightened her somewhat._

_He shrugged slightly. "It makes sense, Rose. We care about each other."_

_So that was it. They care about each other._

_Rose threw a sarcastic laugh. She could be more violent and cunning with him than with Lily. He could handle it. After all, he was the one who most likely pursued the relationship. Lily was much too shy and timid. _

"_Oh well in that case Scorpius I could have married about fifty different wizards with the only basis of marriage being that I care about them."_

_There was a slight twitch in Scorpius's right eye, but his expression remained cold as ice._

"_The wedding is in a week. We would both be honored if you came. I know Lily would like you in the wedding, but we realize that would be too much to ask."_

_Honored, would they? Rose was hearing a lot of 'we's' in his little speech. _

_And she hated it. _

_What really annoyed Rose was the fact that Scorpius had never even spoken to Lily at Hogwarts, maybe five times at most. He had never shown any amount of interest in her and suddenly they're getting married? Well, he had shown interest once…_

_She gave another bone chilling laugh._

"_So I was right, wasn't I? You did have a thing for her."_

"_No, Rose. Our relationship now has nothing to do with what happened in the past. I was telling you the truth."_

"_Well, then that just makes it perfect, doesn't it? Can't marry Rose Weasley, so why not marry her cousin? How convenient for you, Scorpius."_

_Rose was furious, she was hurt, she was every emotion possible all at once. She wanted to cry, to scream, to run. It was a miracle she was able to hold any kind of calm composure at the given moment._

_Scorpius leaned forward in a very business-like manner with his hands folded, his eyes darkening. "I asked you to marry me, Rose. And you said no."_

_His words stung and Rose looked away. He was right, partially._

"_I never said no. I said not yet. Big difference."_

_He laughed coldly. "You weren't going to say yes, Rose. Maybe ten years from now but I don't want to wait that long."_

_Rose felt tears brimming in her eyes and she looked back at him. "Well Scorpius, I'm sorry I'm not someone worth waiting for."_

She had left him that day without another word and had agreed resentfully to be in the wedding. Some had whispered behind her back that she had gone crazy; that anyone who would be in the wedding of their cousin and ex boyfriend was inane.

And maybe she was. But Rose knew she would be much more tempted to do something rash if she was sitting in the audience. And if she wasn't here, she would probably be drunk lying in a ditch somewhere. And that really wouldn't do.

So she watched Lily make her way down the aisle, envy radiating from her veins.

'Be good Rose,' she reminded herself. 'You told him no.'

She broke her gaze away from the bride to stare at the roses in her boutique, unable to look into Lily's face. Ironic, wasn't it? That this wedding was dressed in roses and not lilies.

Scorpius Malfoy was marrying a Lily, yet his wedding was filled with roses.

Yes, it was definitely ironic. And painful, if Rose had to be honest.

Lily's eyes were tear-stained, focused only on Scorpius. Uncle Harry looked uncomfortable, the same way Aunt Ginny appeared. No one in the family really agreed on this marriage, and Rose felt very gracious to that fact. At least they were able to see she had been the one meant to marry Scorpius…

Lily and Uncle Harry were only a few feet away now and soon the ceremony would begin.

Rose took a breath. She stole a glance in the crowd and found her mother.

Hermione stared at Rose with determination and sadness. It was her silent cue to remind her daughter to stay strong and it did indeed give Rose a little strength. Her mother was the strongest woman she knew and the fact that she had Granger blood running through her made her a little more confident. Even though she wanted to crumple to the ground and let the pain consume her, she wouldn't.

She would hold her head high and say nothing. There would be no white flag above her door; no surrender. Because she was an Auror in training, she was a Granger and a Weasley, she was the niece of Harry Potter, and she was Rose.

So for a fleeting moment, Rose allowed herself one moment of weakness. She pretended this was her wedding; that these guests had come to see her marry Scorpius, the one boy she had truly loved. That was okay, right?

Yes, she would pretend her dress was white instead of champagne. She would pretend that diamond ring on Lily's finger was on hers. And she would pretend Scorpius still loved her, just like she still loved him.

Lily and Uncle Harry stopped just short of Scorpius. Uncle Harry lifted Lily's veil from her face and planted a small kiss on her cheek.

The tiny minister wizard standing upon the altar gestured everyone to sit, and the music stopped playing.

"Who gives this witch in marriage to this man?" asked the wizard in a wheezy sort of voice, reminding Rose oddly of the old caretaker, Mr. Filch, at Hogwarts.

"I do," said Uncle Harry warily.

Rose felt a stab in her chest, feeling betrayal from her uncle.

He took a seat next to Aunt Ginny and the Minister cleared his throat.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy and Lily Luna Potter," began the Minister. "Today marks the day of the beginning for these two young individuals and…"

Rose tuned out the rest of the Ministers opening speech, not wanting to listen another moment. She was too focused on Scorpius and Lily, who were staring intently into each other eyes. She suddenly wanted to hurl.

Maybe she couldn't do this.

"—the freedom to love unconditionally. This marks upon a strong bond in faith, but also friendship…"

To love unconditionally. But did they love each other? Scorpius had said they 'cared about each other' but never said anything about love.

"Through this marriage, Scorpius and Lily make a commitment together to face their disappointments, embrace their dreams, and each other's failures…"

How could you commit to someone you had only really known a year?

Rose had known Scorpius since she was eleven, and had been his girlfriend for three years. She knew him like the back of her hand. She knew his strengths and his weaknesses. _She_ knew his disappointments, dreams, and failures, not Lily.

So why marry her? Why now, and why her of all people?

Rose had a fairly good idea why he wanted to marry now rather than later, as ancient as the thought might be. Scorpius was, after all, a Malfoy. And the Malfoy's were about as traditional as it got and rather, married at a young age. If Rose's memory served her correct, Draco Malfoy had married Astoria Greengrass, Scorpius's mother, when he was only nineteen years old. And Lucius Malfoy, Scorpius's grandfather, had married Narcissa Black at the age of seventeen.

So Scorpius was probably frowned upon in a way, waiting until he was twenty one.

It was ridiculous, to say the least.

_Stupid, archaic Purebloods_, Rose hissed in her mind.

"—with this marriage, these young individuals embark a journey of growth and freedom, happiness and sacrifice, and most importantly, of love."

There was that word again. Love.

What was love, anyway? How many times had Scorpius told Rose he loved her?

But did he really understand the meaning of the word? In Rose's opinion, if you loved someone, than you would wait for them, right? You would wait until they felt comfortable getting married.

It's what she would have done. She would have waited a century if need be.

Rose tried to suppress a groan.

She kept her eyes straight ahead, staring at the back of Lily's head. She didn't want to make eye contact with anyone, and she didn't want to look at anything that would make her feel worse. And hair seemed like an innocent thing to stare at for the moment.

"—Let us now join together with the exchange of vows."

Rose snapped back into reality.

This was it. This was the only chance she had at one of them backing away.

Lily turned slightly and handed Rose her bouquet.

The two girls avoided touch and contact, and Rose felt an uncontrollable urge to smack her pretty face with it.

But she wouldn't; because she had a promise to keep, even if it was only to herself.

One of the worst parts of this whole thing was that Lily was really a sweet and caring person. She was one of those people that were impossible to hate because she usually agreed to anything. She was too timid to do anything rash, and the only time any amount of flamboyant behavior occurred was when she was comfortable with the people around her or obviously, at a Ministry benefit. But even then, it was the first time she had ever touched Firewhiskey.

It was a horrible realization because in all honesty, Lily was a perfect person to marry.

Damn the Potter's and their perfect family; Harry the savior, Ginny the brave, James the athlete, Albus the brain, and Lily the angel. It was like one mega super hero family.

And all Rose had was her know-it-all mother, overreacting father, and Quidditch crazed brother.

Lovely.

The minister turned to face Lily.

"Do you, Lily Luna Potter, take Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy to be your husband on this gracious day? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish and continually bestow upon him your heart's deepest devotion, forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto him as long as you both shall live?"

"I will."

Another rip through the chest.

She had expected this, of course. She knew this was going to happen, but it didn't make it any less painful.

The minister now turned to Scorpius. Rose took in quick, sharp breaths.

"Do you, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy take Lily Luna Potter to be your wife—"

The room was starting to darken, or maybe Rose was about to pass out.

She could fight dark wizards, slay vampires, and hunt werewolves but this, this? No she could not do this. This was much tougher, much more horrible than anything she had to do to become an Auror. This was emotional pain.

And physical pain had nothing on it.

"—Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse…"

_Breathe Rose, breath, _she scolded herself. _You said no to him, you said no. You could have been where Lily is, but you said no…_

"—in sadness and in joy, to cherish and continually bestow upon her your heart's deepest devotion, forsaking all others…"

Tears slowly formed in Rose's eyes, and she couldn't stop him from marrying her.

This wasn't right. It was wrong. So wrong.

She should be marrying him. She was the one who he had shared most of his life with. She was the one who no doubt, loved him unconditionally.

"—keep yourself only unto her as long as you both shall live?"

Rose glanced up, finding Scorpius's face. She could see him just past Lily's shoulder. She felt her face burning; a pounding in her ears.

There was a pause, and the air suddenly felt exceptionally thick. The guests were stark still and silent. Hermione had a hand clamped to her mouth, her eyes doe eyed. Aunt Ginny was looking back and forth between Lily and Scorpius quickly, her expression of utmost anxiousness. Uncle Harry was staring straight at the ground, his eyes unmoving. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy looked just as intense as everyone else, though Draco was staring harshly at his son.

There was a moment where Rose could have sworn Scorpius had looked at her, looked through Lily.

Everyone was staring at Scorpius, and Rose could tell Lily was beginning to panic, for her response had been immediate.

Scorpius opened his mouth, and Rose found that she was never hanging on his words more than at that very moment.

* * *

**A/N: I KNOW..horrible cliffy! But I've got to make some edits on chapter three before I post. So the million dollar question is...what do you think he'll say? And whose to blame here? Rose for saying no, or Scorpius for not waiting? It's a complicated situation really and I think it's pretty realistic; which is what I want to bring to this. Not all romances are simple and easy. **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. This story is to be an epic romance..even though it might not seem like it yet. So just trust me, k? =)**


	3. Mess and Destruction

**A/N: So my boyfriend and I of 4 years are taking a break..and I'm officially depressed *sighs*. Send some love my way..I need it. Here's the chapter..hope you like it. Sorry I'm not all chippery but I'm just eh..going through the motions. Be sure to check chapters 1 and 2 for the casting of Rose, Scorpius, and Lily and give them a Google. I think it's important to 'see' who plays each role. =)**

**Casting: **Emilie de Ravin as Dominique Weasley; Shia LaBeouf as Albus Potter; Kellan Lutz as James Potter; Gaspard Ulliel as Teddy Lupin

* * *

"I should've spoken up

I should've proudly claimed

That oh my head's to blame

For my hearts mistakes

But oh, I'm staring at the mess I made." - _The Mess I Made _by Parachute

**Ch 3 – Mess and Destruction**

"I will."

Two words. Two words that would ruin Rose's life forever. Two simple, small words caused her to plummet into a dark abyss, sinking to the very depths of depression and sorrow.

How odd, that two words could do just that.

She looked away in attempt to hide the expression on her face. She wasn't sure what it was; only that no one needed to see it.

Her entire body had suddenly gone very cold and she missed the exchange of rings and the lighting of the unity candle with Gubraithian fire; which incidentally, was something she had sort of looked forward to seeing.

The urge to run was almost overbearing as her ears rang painfully, her head pounding furiously. She wished now more than ever she would have listened to her mother. She should have turned down the offer to be in their wedding. It was completely and utterly mental.

There was an impatient sigh from behind and Rose knew it was her cousin Dominique.

Another reason not to be in the wedding, as if there weren't enough already; Rose had to stand in front of Dominique, who like her sister Victoire, had blonde hair despite being a Weasley and extruded beauty within a ten foot radius.

Dom was Rose's best friend, aside from Albus. She was the only one of Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur's children that did not attend Beauxbatons at some point in their lives. Victoire had transferred to Hogwarts in her fifth year, and Louis, who was three years younger than Rose and Dom, had attended Beauxbatons his entire life.

Aside from Dom being unnaturally pale and eye lashes three inches long, she was extremely devious and had, in Rose's opinion, quite a foul mouth.

Her pretty face was definitely not to be tested.

Rose took in a slow breath as Dom sighed again, trying to regain some kind of feeling in her body.

Scorpius had said yes.

He had said yes in marrying Lily.

She should have expected this, of course. But again, her subconscious had remained just as selfish as ever, and incidentally, there was a tiny part of her that believed he would say no.

But he hadn't, had he?

Of course, Scorpius and Lily would now live together, probably in Malfoy Manor, with unicorns and ponies and peacocks and have five little blonde and red headed children frolicking through the rose bushes in the gardens; like some perfect fairytale dream that never really happens in reality.

Rose paled, forcing bile down her throat. She had to stop thinking about this or she was going to get sick.

Her eyes found her cousin James, who stood behind Albus and looked even more impatient than Dom had sounded. This sidetracked her and she felt an odd urge to snort at the look on his face. He was probably hungry, like usual. Being nearly six foot two and weighing over two hundred pounds, he was a tank. He towered over both of his parents, who had no idea where these superpower genes came from.

Albus was staring at the ground, his dark eyes boring holes into the floor. He was, to Rose's own rotten luck, Scorpius's best friend and probably felt forced into the middle ground. It was so strange at the time, seeing Albus placed in Slytherin those many years ago. Rose had thought James would disown him as a sibling, but it only rivaled competition amongst them. Albus and Scorpius playing Quidditch for Slytherin, and James playing for Gryffindor with Hugo…yes, you can imagine the competition there.

A small smile formed on Rose's face despite the emptiness she was feeling. There was something comforting as she thought of her family; a web of friends joined together by war heroes. Although they certainly clashed heads, and there were so many around Christmas that Rose thought she might go insane, she wouldn't trade them for the world.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. Mister Malfoy, you may kiss the bride."

There was a loud applause and Rose's temporary moment of peace vanished. She was frozen as she watched Scorpius kiss Lily gently; the way she had so many times been kissed by him.

She subconsciously rubbed her chest, feeling as though someone had ripped it in two. The pain was so intense she looked past Scorpius to Albus. He was staring at her with nothing but pity and sadness.

And deep down she hated him for it, despite the physical pain she was in. She hated people looking at her that way; the way the entire guest congregation had looked at her. It made her feel weak and defeated.

So she focused on her roses in her bouquet once more, tracing the petals in her mind in attempt to ignore the world around her.

The music began playing as Lily shuffled with her dress. Rose felt Scorpius's gaze on her, but she refused to look. She wouldn't let him see how much she was hurting.

She wouldn't allow anyone to see that.

"You okay?" asked Albus, escorting Rose down the aisle as they kept a safe distance behind the bride and groom.

"Fine," said Rose quickly. Fine was always a safe word.

Albus frowned. "It's okay to say if you're not, you know."

"I know," she replied hastily.

She wanted to smack her cousin. He should know better than to give her the pity trip.

He sighed as they made their way toward the main atrium, where the guests would be able to apparate to the reception.

The reception. A time to celebrate.

It was more like a tragedy in Rose's opinion.

"I can't believe you're going through with this Rosie," said Albus as they reached the marbled floors.

"With what?"

"This!" he shrieked, throwing his hands up like a two year old. "Playing the maid of honor and putting on that fake smile. You're miserable Rose."

She shot him a glare. "Yet you're going through with it as the best man, Al. If you're so unhappy about it why don't you say something?"

Why hadn't he said something after all? Why hadn't _anyone_ said something?

"What am I to say? He's my best mate…you're my best mate. And he's marrying my sister! I'm in the worst position out of all you," he said gloomily and Rose couldn't help but sigh. He was right. What was he supposed to say to his best mate or his sister? Rose didn't know. She just wanted someone to say something…anything. This marriage was wrong and everyone knew it.

Yet no one said a word. Why?

But she knew the answer. They were all too stubborn and too afraid of how the dominos would fall if someone broke down Lily or even Scorpius. It was a slippery slope, and everyone knew it. There would be a small conflict that would escalate into something large and soon everyone would be angry with each other. That was usually the way family arguments went down in the Weasley/Potter households. Someone was bound to get hurt.

But even if that happened, in the end, it was really only Rose who would hurt the most, wasn't it?

The entire situation was a giant web of confusion, tangled together in disarray. There were words that hadn't been said, actions that never met their consequences, and lies upon lies that had graced even the prettiest of tongues. It was a giant puzzle, broken into hundreds of tiny little pieces.

Rose was beginning to sympathize with the broken puzzle. At least if someone tried, perhaps they could put it together again.

And she was like a broken puzzle, but the problem was that she didn't have all the pieces to it anymore.

Scorpius had those missing pieces and she doubted she could ever get them back. So she would remain broken, her pieces lost and scattered with the one boy she would love forever.

What a hopeless, pathetic, tragic thought it was.

"Are you going to apparate?" asked Albus, cutting across her thoughts.

Scorpius and Lily were a few feet away, greeting guests that had managed to squeeze into the atrium. Lily's smile was out of joy; Scorpius's more out of politeness. His eyes lingered to Rose for a fraction of a second but she quickly turned back to Albus, hating the drop of her stomach that he caused with one glance.

"Yes. I'll see you there."

She pulled out her wand from inside her gown and concentrated painfully on her destination. There was the usual pull at her naval as she apparated onto the grounds of Malfoy Manor.

The gardens were blossoming with colorful wildflowers and the hedges were perfectly trimmed for the occasion. There was an enormous white marquee that stretched across the grounds over about fifty round tables dressed in gold and white. The center of the tent contained a wooden dance floor and mini stage for a band that was setting up.

The only sound was the bustling of wizards that were attempting to bring together the last minute plans along with the slight pop of apparating guests; Mrs. Malfoy amongst the group, shuffling several waiters to their stations.

The sun was on the verge of setting, casting a golden glow along the grounds. It was a beautiful scene no matter what Rose wanted to think. And this too made her angry.

It was supposed to storm and rain when she felt this empty and depressed. There was something truly upsetting about feeling this awful and the day being so glorious.

"Rose?"

It was her father, his voice laced with such graveness that it was a surprise no one had died. Rose turned around resentfully, not wanting to see once again the expression of pity on her father's face.

"Hi dad," she said, attempting to smile.

Ron Weasley, still freckle faced and whose red hair was receding more than ever smiled warmly. He placed one of his lanky arms awkwardly around her shoulders and surveyed the gardens of the manor.

"You know, the Prophet called Malfoy Manor a simply…what was the word…_ravishing_ destination for an event," he said nonchalantly. Rose said nothing, and didn't bother to correct him on the fact that the Prophet had said 'wedding' and not 'event.' Not that she had read the article over ten times or anything. "Yeah," he added, "definitely overrated. It's a bit much, I think. Too many bloody flowers."

Rose couldn't help but smile at her father, who had no longer held any amount of pity in his voice.

"I've sure seen better," she said, still smiling.

It was a lie, and they both knew it.

"You deserve better."

Rose shrugged out of her father's one armed hug, feeling this blissful moment at an end. It had been nice for those few seconds.

"Where are you going?" he asked, wrinkling his nose the way he always did when he was concerned.

"To find Dom," said Rose, turning and lifting her gown with her hand as she maneuvered through the now very crowded tent. "See you, Dad."

"Hey Red!" a voice boomed from behind as she stepped inside the marquee.

She turned, half smiling. "James, have you ever noticed that I'm not the only one with red hair around here? And even at that, mine isn't _that_ red?" she asked, watching James push past people hastily or so, knock over them as he made his way toward her.

James Potter, always the gentlemen.

He gave a toothy grin. "Yeah, but I've called you that since you were six. Why stop now?"

Rose sighed. "Good point. What do you need? They haven't started the food yet."

James roared with laughter and gave her a hard slap on the back that was actually somewhat painful. That was the good thing about being around James. He was hardly ever serious and was able to act as though nothing out of the ordinary had occurred today; like his sister marrying the love of Rose's life.

He was the perfect person to be around today.

"Nah I already snuck into the kitchens and had a few biscuits," he said, looking impressed with himself. "I wanted to tell you that you're supposed to make a toast."

Rose felt the color drain from her face.

"A toast? James…I can't do that," she said quietly, horrified. Were Lily and Scorpius completely mental? She gave a snort as she continued. "Trust me they don't want to hear anything I have to say."

"That's what me and Al said," he said, grinning as he crossed his muscular arms. "We'll try and get you out of it."

"You better."

"Sure, sure…Hey! Are those some of Victoire's old friends from Beauxbatons?" he asked, eyeing a couple of model-like blondes that were analyzing the gardens in awe.

"I think they're out of your league big guy," said Dom, who had appeared from nowhere clutching a glass of champagne.

"Oh yeah?" challenged James, rocking back on his heels. "I bet I can get one of them by the end of the night."

"Hmm, for so little time James that's pretty hard."

He smirked, his cocky grin lighting up on his face. "That's what she said."

He turned and vanished through the crowd as Rose burst into laughter, Dom's mouth dropping in surprise.

"What a little wanker," she said, laughing.

Rose's gaze drifted through the crowd and she saw Scorpius and Lily talking to Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy near the edge of the marquee. Her smile faded and she looked away.

"Here," said Dom, who had noticed, handing her the glass of champagne. "You need it more than I do."

Rose took a small sip and grimaced. She really hated that stuff.

"You know they want me to make a toast, right?"

Dom's mouth dropped "Seriously?" she asked, gawking. Rose said nothing, and after a moment Dom hissed, "That bitch!" while throwing a glare at Lily.

Rose rolled her eyes.

"What?" Dom snapped in annoyance. "It's a bitch move Rose. That's what that is. I still can't believe you said yes to be in the wedding. Hey you!" she barked at a wizard wearing a silver jacket carrying a tray filled with glasses of champagne.

"Yes m'am?" the waiter asked, eyeing her with disdain.

"I'll take another please and thanks," she said, grabbing a glass and downing half of it in one gulp.

The waiter wrinkled his nose in disgust and vanished into the crowd.

"You might want to slow down," said Rose, eyeing her cautiously.

"You might want to start," she snapped. "I'm already over this. I had to wear a pair of knickers Victoire had bought me from Paris so they wouldn't show through my dress and they've been riding my arse all day."

Rose snorted into her champagne but her laughter quickly died away as Lily approached looking apprehensive and thankfully, without Scorpius.

"Lily," said Dom semi-pleasantly, "What can we do for you?"

Lily smiled sweetly and shot Rose a nervous look. The girl looked completely petrified of her, honestly.

Rose frowned.

"We're starting in ten minutes. If you could take your seats…" her voice trailed away, motioning toward the head table in the front of the white marquee.

"Of course," said Dom, giving a cheeky smile.

Lily smiled graciously and turned to Rose. "Could I have a word, Rose?"

Rose wanted nothing more than to run far away as fast as she could. Part of her wanted to murder Lily, yet the more reasonable side forced herself to remember that it wasn't her fault.

It was Rose's. Rose had said no.

More than once, if she allowed herself to remember.

"Yeah, sure," she said unwillingly. She handed Dom her glass, who rolled her eyes and trudged away looking affronted.

Lily looked down, fidgeting with her hands. It was sad, really, as Rose imagined her with Scorpius. Lily was so…breakable, and sweet. There was no way in hell she would last with him.

This thought gave Rose comfort and a mad grin formed on her face.

"Thank you," said Lily quickly, glancing back up. "For being here. For not trying to kill me or hating me. I've always looked up to you Rose, and the way you've held yourself is most admirable."

Rose didn't know if she should be happy or angry with this compliment. So she simply tried to smile.

It didn't turn out very pretty.

"It says on the itinerary that you were to make a toast, but I understand if you don't want to. I don't know if my mum really wants to either…so maybe it will just be Albus."

Disappointment rang in her voice, but Rose didn't feel bad. What did she expect?

She gave a curd nod, still finding words a little difficult. She was able however to at least be around Lily, which made her a little proud; it was Scorpius she was worried about.

She turned to leave with a forced smile when Lily spoke again,

"I do love him…you know."

Her voice was a mere whisper, a ghost dancing in the wind. Rose turned around to face her, feeling her heart drop from her chest.

Of course Lily loved him. Who didn't?

"I surely hope so," she said, her tone a bit sharper than she had meant. She turned to leave but Lily reached out, grabbing her wrist tightly.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, yet her tone held a firmness to confirm her sincerity.

Rose tried to smile once more. It was another failed attempt.

"Don't be," she said simply. "I said no, remember?"

Her statement was partially a lie, considering she hadn't exactly said no. But as Lily's face fell, Rose escaped as fast as she could. She had to get some air before the reception begun. She had to get away from the buzzing of guests and happy cheers of celebration.

And from Lily. Princess Lily on her most gracious day. Her sweetness was almost revolting. It was just too difficult to be resentful of someone so pure.

And this fact made the whole situation even more miserable, as if that were even possible.

Rose walked to the edge of the marquee and saw a handsome wizard lounging against one of the pillars.

His white shirt was untucked, his face unshaven. He brought a cigarette to his mouth, inhaling the toxic smoke with ease.

"You know that'll kill you some day Teddy," said Rose, crossing her arms dismally.

Teddy Lupin didn't turn, but merely acted as though she hadn't spoken.

"That's what Victoire keeps telling me."

"Maybe you should listen to her."

Teddy shrugged. "Maybe. It relaxes me."

Rose didn't respond, secretly wishing she could have a go at the killing stick. Anything to calm her down right now would be lovely; anything to take the pain away, even for a second.

"So what brings you over here, creeping alone in the corner?" she asked, glancing back at the reception to make sure it hadn't started.

Not that she really cared.

"I might ask you the same question," he said, his lips turning up in a playful smirk.

"I needed some air," she said, somehow finding what she really needed was security. Her arms wrapped around her torso as she took in a deep breath. She couldn't decide if she was falling apart or suffocating.

"Quite understandable."

His tone was lax, serene. Rose always enjoyed being around Teddy for this reason. He was like a cigarette. Just being in his presence already placed her in a sense of calm.

She took another deep breath.

"You should probably get back there you know," he said after a moment, exhaling the smoke as it danced in front of Rose's face.

"Yeah, I know," she said miserably.

She placed herself at the high table, ignoring the nervous glances from the guests. Honestly, did they not have anything better else to do except stare at her? She could feel her cheeks blushing under her creamy complexion.

Lily was already sitting in her seat, and Rose had to physically force herself to sit next to her; Scorpius only a few feet away.

The marquee was now completely full, the guests chattering animatedly; several officials guiding them to their proper seats. The room was loud, drowning out the ragged breaths of Rose as she stared straight forward at nothing particular.

With the light music, bustling waiters, and babbling guests, it was like being caught in a storm; except Rose was in the eye, trapped in the eerie calm without really feeling the chaos around her.

She was doing so well before now. She was talking and even forcing herself to make facial expressions with an occasion honest laugh. But now, being so close to him…it pulled her under. His presence was so strong she could practically feel him next to her.

Even not together, Scorpius still held a strong hold on her.

And she hated him for it.

Her right seat was empty, the tiny name card labeled 'Dominique Weasley' glittering in her face. Where was Dom? She really needed her. Or Albus, or James, or Teddy. Heck even her mum or dad would do. But no, they were chatting away with Luna Scamander and her husband Rolf a few feet away.

Bloody traitors, leaving Rose to hang on the hook, the nail digging more fiercely into her back every second.

"RED!" James boomed, as if on cue, making his way toward the high table. He had a triumphant grin spread across his face, a grin that couldn't possibly be anything good.

Well, at least someone rescued her from her own depression.

"What James?" she asked when he reached her.

He placed his elbow on the table, leaning forward cockily. He glanced back to the crowd, and then back at Rose.

"See that girl over there?"

He pointed to a blonde sitting at table twenty about thirty feet away.

"Yeah, why?"

Lily had brought her attention to her brother, and Rose saw from the corner of her eye Scorpius incline his head.

Why did this bother her so much?

"Her names Isabella Lefevre. Real nice girl, went to Beauxbatons with Fleur…"

Rose laughed, already knowing what he was going to say. But it seemed he wanted to be the one to say it before she did as he grinned wickedly.

"Already kissed her," he said smugly. "And we have a date in two days. HAH! Shove that in Dom's face!"

"You what?" Lily shrieked, but Rose ignored her. Lily was not part of this little bet between James, Dom, and herself. And she felt very protected over it for some reason.

"Wow James," said Rose, actually impressed. Yes James was quite good looking but still, it couldn't have been more than thirty minutes.

Hmm, what did that say about French witches?

"You kissed a stranger?" Lily repeated, sounding completely flabbergasted. "You don't even know her."

Rose's eyes widened and she turned to stare at her cousin incredulously. Lily was talking about 'not knowing' someone? About kissing a stranger?

In front of Rose?

It seemed Lily had realized her mistake and she looked away.

Damn hypocrite.

"Oh that doesn't really matter. I'm sure they care about each other," said Rose, unable to stop herself. She said it loud enough for Scorpius to hear.

Lily then looked down at her place setting and Rose felt courage within to sneak at glance at Scorpius. He was folding his silver napkin intricately across his lap with more grace than what should be expected of a wizard, but appeared not to of heard her.

But she knew better. Scorpius was always able to hear from a distance.

"Damn straight," said James, giving one last grin before making his way toward the groom's side.

Scorpius and James weren't the best of friends, but they got along fine. Rose suspected he was in the wedding more out of respect for Lily than Scorpius. There was only two other groomsmen; Damon Nott and Will Hensley, two fellow Slytherins from their year.

Lily's other two bridesmaids, Lucy Weasley and Elena Finnigan were chatting away at the end of the table, Dom's seat resting as a barrier.

Rose sighed. She was stuck in the middle of everything.

There was a tapping of glass and the room quieted, Dom stumbling to her seat just in time. Everyone turned their attention to Mrs. Malfoy, who was seated at the round table closest to the head.

Her dark hair was pulled back elegantly, her red lips stretching into a wide smile. Rose had gotten on well with Astoria Malfoy, better than she expected. The woman enjoyed talking so Rose didn't have to apply much there. She loved the plush of her home, her husband's money, and the luxury of the many vacations they often took.

She was definitely chosen by Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy; that much was obvious. Draco Malfoy sat back in his chair, looking rather bored. Rose was always intrigued by him, much to her father's dismay. There was something behind all his words, his sentences that twisted with double meanings and understandings. And Rose liked that. She liked trying to figure out his backwards statements and hidden sayings. It made things interesting.

Also seated at the front table were Lucius and Narcissa, both looking rather proud and slightly smug. They held a high air of superiority and arrogance, but the few times Rose had met them had left her surprised. They were very dignified human beings, and seemed to have been much affected by the second war.

There had been no sparing, no cruel taunts about her parents. They were if anything, respectful even if a little drawn back.

Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny sat next to them, wearing equally blank expressions. Granddad and Grandma Molly were the last two situated at the table, seated furthest from Lucius and Narcissa. They looked uncomfortable, dressed in inexpensive robes that surely left Lucius with a sneer on his face.

Rose wanted to snort. If her table was awkward, it was probably nothing compared to theirs.

"If I could have your attention please," said Astoria sweetly. "I want to thank you all for attending this wonderful day. Who would have thought a Malfoy and Potter would unite?"

Draco and Lucius looked as though they had swallowed something sour. It was evident neither was thrilled of this, but apparently found it necessary to hold their tongue.

Rose was doomed. Even the Malfoy's had done nothing to stop this wedding.

"Before we enjoy our meal, I believe Albus would like to say a few words," she said, clapping her hands and smiling. The guests followed suit and Rose couldn't find it in her to cooperate.

Albus stood up from beside Scorpius with a polite smile. James gave a wolfish whistle, causing a group of girls to giggle.

"Lovely put together, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, really," said Albus, acknowledging Scorpius's parents with another grin. Astoria beamed, and Draco's lips pursed. He was probably angry at the actual cost of this little event.

"When I started at Hogwarts, I was so afraid that I'd be in Slytherin," he said seriously. "And then my dad told me that I was named after a Slytherin, and so if I was put there, then I should be proud."

Rose leaned forward in her seat, propping her elbows on the table to get a better view of Albus. She didn't want to think about the past, but Albus had a way with words that made you want to listen to him.

"And so of course, that's where I was put," he said, laughing. Some of the guests laughed with him. "I thought as a Potter, no one in Slytherin would befriend me. But Scorpius and I got paired together in Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Albus smiled now, seeming to reminisce at an old joke. "And after I hexed his hair blue and he made my legs dance uncontrollably for ten minutes straight, we became friends. Just like that. Ever since then Scorpius has been a royal pain in my arse." The guests laughed loudly and Rose couldn't help cracking a grin. Albus sighed, clutching his wand as it magnified his voice. He looked down for a moment before a tight smile formed on his face.

"And Lily, my sweet, little baby sister..."

There were a few 'awes' from the crowd, but Rose rolled her eyes. Lily blushed, looking touched.

"Probably couldn't be more wrong for you Scorpius," he said, giving a cry of awkward laughter. The crowd joined in the laughter, assuming Albus was joking. Rose knew he was serious, and for that she grinned widely.

"Though Lily and I weren't exceptionally close growing up, I know that she's happy now. And I guess that's what matters." He sighed, glancing to the ground. "I always knew Scorpius would be part of the family someday."

Rose's grin slowly vanished.

"I um…"

His voice faltered and he ran a hand through his hair, the way his father did when he didn't know what to say.

"Well done, both of you," he said, grabbing his glass and hoisting it in the air. "To Scorpius and Lily."

Rose felt her insides shatter, hearing their names once again slurred into the same sentence.

She said nothing, nor did she toast. Only Dom, her true friend, sat solemnly without moving as well as the guests clapped happily. Albus looked gloomy as he sat back down and shot a reproachful look toward her.

Rose didn't hear the next few words of Mrs. Malfoy, for she had already sank back into her hole of depression.

This was going to be a very evening.

* * *

**A/N: Please don't kill me for Scorpius saying yes. The story wouldn't be as challenging nor as interesting had he said no. Plus I would have been forced to end the story much sooner! And I want a chance to really work with these characters. More drama, action, and romance to come..I promise. Just trust me, okay? =) Reviews are loved and I'll respond to any questions you may have. Thanks for reading!**


	4. Where's the Sense in That?

**A/N: Last chapter, serendipity asked a good question. Are divorces allowed in my story? The answer is yes. I think that's one of the flaws Rowling made (not that there were many by any means, lol) but not everyone marries the right person the first time. Sometimes real marriages don't work out, you know? I think it's silly to assume that EVERYONE ends up perfectly married to their soul mate, even in the wizarding world. So no, Scorpius and Lily are not magically bound together. I'm not saying a divorce is going to happen, but I'm not saying it can't happen either. **

**And calmbeforethestorm123, it's funny you say that. See guys, I was told I deserve more than 25 reviews for this story, which is really sweet of you calmbeforethestorm123! And ironically, this story actually has over 110 reviews at HPFF with only 4 chapters. Those guys are smoking you all in reviews! lol But I am more known there than here so I'll let you guys slide :P. Anyway, here's chapter 4..enjoy!**

**Casting:** Josh Hutcherson as Hugo Weasley (age 19); Chace Crawford as Lysander Scamander (age 24); Zac Efron as Lorcan Scamander (age 20); Alexis Bledel as Lavinia "Vinny" Kingsley (age 21); Jana Kramer as Lucy Weasley (age 19)

* * *

I wanna shout out in the hearts of man.

I wanna mean it from the back of my broken hand.

Another head aches, another heart breaks,

I'm so much older than I can take.

- _All These Things That I've Done_, The Killers

**Ch 4 – Where's the Sense in That?**

Dinner was served and Rose found herself picking at her roast duck with her fork, drumming her painted nails on the silk tablecloth without care.

She usually wasn't the type of girl to abandon food while depressed but for some reason the thoughts of eating literally made her want to throw up. Or maybe it had something to do with the fact that she was sitting next to Lily, who was chatting away happily to Scorpius.

Yeah, maybe that was it. Who had come up with this seating arrangement again? And besides, who wanted to eat a poor little duck anyway?

"You're holding out well," Dom muttered into her glass, taking a large gulp of wine.

Rose shrugged. "What choice do I have?"

"You could have fought back."

Rose stared at her. Dom simply shrugged and added, "Just saying."

Shortly after dinner, wedding cake was served and Rose seemed to find this even more revolting as she stared with malice at the tiny swirled 'L' and 'S' that had been happily engraved with icing on each piece of vanilla cake.

She glanced up, hoping to find some sort of comfort in the room. Her eyes locked on Lorcan and Lysander Scamander, who despite their eccentric mother, had turned out quite normal and to be honest, rather good looking. Though the two were four years apart, their bronze tousled hair and bright blue eyes made most people believe they were twins. Lorcan, the shy one, looked mildly uncomfortable at his designated table with five other girls; while Lysander, always the charmer, was busy having a conversation with a pretty brunette and seemed completely at ease. This however, would never be mentioned by Rose in front of Dom.

"Well shit," muttered Dom, shoving a large piece of cake into her mouth and chewing it with more force than necessary.

So much for her not noticing him.

"I thought they were going to Romania or something to study dragons," said Rose, throwing a glare at Lysander.

It was too bad he wasn't looking at her to see it.

"Apparently not," snapped Dom. "Wouldn't want to miss this lovely event for an opportunity to swoon idiotic, broad busted, little tramps now would he?"

Rose stifled a laugh and glanced back at their table when her eyes locked on Lysander's. She looked away quickly and noticed Dom, who also, had been looking.

"Stop looking at him," said Rose, shoving her untouched cake aside.

"I wasn't."

"You were."

"Eat shit, Rose."

Rose finally laughed. It made her feel oddly at ease knowing this evening was hard on Dom too. Not that it could possibly compare to the pain she was wearing like a heavy coat, but it was still slightly reassuring.

How nice. Rose's only comfort was resting on the pain of one of her best friends.

Lovely.

As the last few pieces of cake were eaten, the tables were shifted to the side in order to enlarge the already in place dance floor.

It was then Rose realized that the band chosen for the wedding wasn't just any, but the Weird Sisters; a rather popular group that was rarely seen at such personal events.

Myron Wagtail, the lead singer with wavy, jet black hair and a ridiculously long nose announced that it was for Scorpius and Lily to share the first dance. Rose escaped to the edge of the tint as quickly as possible, standing outside of it so she didn't have to watch. She found herself attempting to blend in with the canvas of the tent, pressing her body as firmly into as possible, staring at the manor with a small amount of jealousy.

The tall twisting turrets, the giant glass windows, even the serpent intertwined fountain was charming in its own way.

And it could have all been hers.

She sighed, rubbing her eyes. At least everyone was inside enjoying the party and she could savior these few moments alone to let her guard drop and sulk.

Light footsteps broke through her little bubble of shame and she groaned. Why couldn't people leave her alone? She turned half heartedly, when her eyes widened at her unwanted guest in surprise.

"Hello Rose."

His cool, smooth tone was perfected; years and years of practice and it held with it authority and control. His son's was only an echo of it.

"Hi Mr. Malfoy," said Rose, trying to muster a grin. As simple as the task may be, she found it rather difficult. Looking at him was like looking at an older Scorpius. "Nice party," she added half heartedly.

The corners of Draco's lips turned up, a hint of a smirk on the verge of appearing. "I'm not sure nice is the appropriate word for it, actually."

"Makes no difference," Rose muttered pathetically, hoping he hadn't heard.

"Lily is a decent girl…for a Potter, you know."

"Yeah, I know," she sighed, not needing anyone else to remind her just how perfect Lily was.

"But I always thought it would be you he'd marry."

His tone was indifferent, as if they were discussing who Scorpius was going to take to the holiday ball. His words pained Rose, but she knew he didn't care. Draco Malfoy was like that, stating however he felt with whatever words he wanted to express. He got to the point, even if it hurt those in the way.

And in a way, that was probably a good thing.

There was silence, and Rose wasn't quite sure how to respond.

'Yeah, me too,' was her initial reaction. But still, she said nothing.

"I do not pity you today Rose," he added thoughtlessly. "Should you try, and fail, then I will pity you. Should you fail, and not try, then I do not."

Here was an example of Draco's backwards statements and twisted logic that somehow made her feel belittled.

She blinked, repeating his words over and over in her head until she had the just of what he was saying.

"Mr. Malfoy," she said, shaking her head and holding up a hand. "I…I didn't turn him down, okay? I said not yet. And he left…he left and went to Paris for you. And met Lily…and…and that's that."

She had no idea why she was rambling away to him, of all people. It probably looked pathetic, and it made her feel pathetic as she analyzed her defeated tone that left an empty echo in the air.

And with that she realized he was right; she hadn't really fought…she had failed, but she didn't really try in the first place.

She just gave up. She accepted his marriage to Lily without much of a fight. But how could she fight for something that was already taken?

"Well since that's that, I suppose I should be getting back. Take care, Rose. See you soon."

"Bye," she replied sadly, watching him disappear before replaying what he had just said. "Wait, what?" she added suddenly, but he was already gone.

See you soon? Where the heck would he be seeing her anytime soon?

She stood there for a moment, staring at the grass, listening to the echo of the music that was perspiring from the tent. Scorpius's father was such a confusing man, but still Rose found his words interesting as she continued to replay them in her head.

A voice issued from behind the tent suddenly and Rose cringed as she noted the familiarity with disdain; it was a voice she could pick out in a room full of hundreds of people.

And it was very, very close.

Her breath lodged in her throat and she panicked, launching herself into a nearby bush on her hands and knees.

"Damn it!" she groaned to herself in pain, sharp pinecones pressing firmly into her palms. She pried them off before craning her neck slightly, attempting to peer through the branches when his voice rang clearer.

"Thank you," he said to someone she couldn't see. "Let me know if you see her."

The flap of the tent pushed back to reveal a pair of black shiny shoes that took a large step forward into the moonlight.

Rose cowered backwards, shrinking into the dirt and hoping to blend into it.

She tried to catch a glimpse of his face, but through the branches and leaves it was impossible. So she stared at his shoes, waiting for them to move.

But they didn't.

There was a deep sigh, and a slight tap of his right foot.

A bug fluttered into Rose's eye and she batted it away wordlessly, annoyed and irritated beyond words to be stuck in such a stupid situation.

Here she was, crotched on all fours behind a bush like a bloody coward, dirt staining her new dress, as Scorpius stood inches away without the slightest idea.

Why wasn't he leaving? What could he possibly be staring at?

Suddenly her eyes were captivated by the silver napkin that was falling ever so slowly onto the ground. She watched with horror, as if a slow motion replay was occurring, until the napkin landed on his shoe.

There was a 'hmm' sound when Rose saw Scorpius bend down slowly, her eyes widening in terror.

She buried her face down in the hopes that if she didn't see him, it meant he couldn't see her.

It a childish plea, yes, but so was hiding in a bush.

"Rose?"

_Dear Merlin, kill me now, _she thought, completely mortified.

Maybe if she didn't respond, he'd go away.

"Rose," he stated more confidently, "what are you doing?"

This time he pushed past the leaves to get a better glimpse of her.

There was a brief moment when she actually considered running, but it was quickly shot down when she realized how cowardly and pathetic it would look.

Plus, she would probably face plant into the ground with these ridiculous high heels Lily had chosen.

_Damn them both to the pits of hell_, she thought bitterly.

"Me?" she asked, gulping. "Oh…I'm…I dropped…something…"

Her muttered excuse was followed by her hands moving fiercely against the dirt as if she was searching for something of utmost importance.

Scorpius narrowed his eyes before walking behind the bush to where she was, bending down, and rummaging through the dirt alongside her.

Her eyes widened, and she tried to peer at him through the corner of her eyes, her hands still moving through the dirt.

Merlin, now what? What the hell was she looking for?

"What did you lose?" he asked, his voice almost amused.

"Found it!" she shouted at him, pretending to slid one of her rings back onto her finger. She stood up hastily, brushing the many twigs, leaves, and dirt clumps that had managed to mold themselves onto her.

Scorpius stood too, managing not to have inherited as many pieces of nature as she had.

What rotten, bloody luck.

Seconds…maybe minutes went by in silence until Rose forced herself to look at him.

She really wished she hadn't.

He was glorious, in the most perfect of ways and she had neglected herself from really looking at him until now. When she had walked down the aisle, she had been so focused on his eyes and nothing more. But here, standing so close, she just couldn't help but drink him all in. She finally turned away from him, hating how attractive he was in his black suit; his blonde curls catching the dim light from the moon; his eyes smoldering pools of silver, just like his fathers.

Damn him. Damn the Malfoy's and their eyes.

"I've been meaning to talk to you."

His tone was neither here nor there, simply indifferent, like usual.

"Yeah, I can see how it's been difficult. What with you getting married an all, talking might be a little of a complication. It's nice you managed to fit this into your busy schedule."

She turned away, crossing her arms, not caring in the slightest how bratty she looked and felt. She was instantly reminded of her cousin Lucy, who despite being nineteen had a perfect tan complexion, long silky brown hair and large brown eyes. But her beauty was nothing to be envied accompanied by her rotten, snobby personality. How Lily befriended her, Rose would never understand.

Though Lucy was young, her mind worked in ways of twisted schemes and revenge. It was no surprise at all that she was placed in Slytherin.

After nearly sneering at herself for even resembling her awful cousin, Rose decided to uncross her arms but her tone came out just as sharp as before as she added,

"But please, do go on."

Scorpius sighed deeply and placed his hands in his pockets.

What was with these Malfoy men with this habit? What if they wore trousers without pockets? What would they do then?

"Rose, listen, I –"

"There you are Rose…Oh!"

Dom stopped short, covering her mouth. Scorpius pursed his lips and Rose looked down at her feet.

"Well hello Scorpius. Listen, since you left Rose here and decided to marry our cousin without much cause nor regard to anyone's personal feelings, you won't mind if I steal her away, will you? Thanks."

She pulled Rose away before Scorpius could respond and led her into the middle of the dance floor.

"What the _hell_ was that about?"

Rose had to shout at her over the music, which had changed tempo into something loud and slightly annoying.

"Saving your bloody fat arse, that's what," said Dom, lifting her dress and dancing to the music.

Rose instantly grabbed her behind.

"My arse isn't fat!" she exclaimed, appalled.

But Dom simply laughed and closed her eyes, swaying her arms in the air. "Do you think if I dance with Lorcan it'll piss Lysander off? Where is he? I _need_ him, Rose! And where the hell is Vinny? She should have been here by now!"

She sounded slightly drunk and when Rose studied her staggered gaze, she saw from the corner of her eye their other best friend who happened to be running later than usual. But then again, it was Vinny. She was always late.

Rose burst into laughter and spun Dom around to face their friend, who was somehow dressed as a waiter, wearing matching jackets like the ones who were serving the wedding, and carrying a tray of Firewhiskey.

Vinny stumbled her way over, apologizing to anyone that she bumped into. Dom looked incredulously at her.

"Vinny, what the _hell_ are you wearing?"

"Mrs. Malfoy," she panted, "got me and this girl mixed up and I couldn't just say it wasn't me because well, she handed me the uniform and…" she sighed, wiping her bangs out of her eyes. "I panicked, okay?"

Typical Vinny; always the type that was equivalent to a doormat. She always got the short end of the stick and for some reason couldn't find it in her heart to ever say anything that might be disagreeable.

"How long have you been here?" Rose asked, biting back a laugh.

"I arrived right before Al's speech," she said. "Help me out of this jacket, will you? It's so tight."

Rose took the tray of Firewhiskey and found a real waiter to take it, while Dom helped Vinny maneuver out of her uniform.

She grimaced and attempted to straighten out her emerald dress, which was cut just above the knee. Her shoulder length brown hair still held a hint of curl, while her pretty blue eyes continued to sparkle.

Her worried expression changed as she peered over Rose's shoulder. Both Dom and Rose noticed her stoic gaze, and turned to see what had made her look so cold.

Dom huffed and balled her fists at the site of their cousin talking to Lysander. Well, talking was a bit of an understatement.

"Do you know how old she is?" asked Dom, completely livid. "She's nine freaking teen, that's how old. Nineteen! Lysander's twenty four! That's insane…it's bloody ridiculous!"

"Bloody ridiculous," Rose and Vinny agreed, nodding.

Rose's gaze wondered back to Lysander, who was standing at the bar with Lucy right on his arm, working her magic and flaunting a tight black dress with three inch heels. Honestly, did Uncle Percy and Aunt Audrey not care what she looked like or how she was perceived? If only Molly wasn't busy working as one of the top Healers at St. Mungo's, she would have been here to scold her younger sister.

Molly was the type of girl Lysander should date, with the exception of Dom of course. She was twenty three; smart, successful, pretty, you name it. She was sort of the mother goose of the Weasley pack; but perhaps that bored Lysander, whose wild, flamboyant behavior was only matched by James and reminded Rose slightly of Scorpius in the way he held himself.

Dom continued to throw daggers at Lucy for the next hour while Vinny attempted to distract her.

It didn't work.

"She's such a bitch. I hate her," Dom continued angrily, spiraling down the hill of hatred. "You know how she had to stand behind me in the queue for the wedding? She told me to straighten my gown, that it was _wrinkled_," she sneered with hate. "I about beat the shit out of her right then and there."

Rose's dislike for Lucy now seemed a bit benign compared to the violent tone in which Dom now took. She felt a little better about herself for not being the cousin that hated her most.

"Hey Red!"

James made his way toward them, dancing and swaying with each step. He sported a shot of Firewhiskey in one hand, his wand in the other.

"What is it now, James?" Rose asked, gripping his shoulders before he fell over.

Merlin, how fast did these gits get pissed these days?

"I'm lookin' for Al, have you seen him?"

"Nope, can't say that I have."

Now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen him in at least what, an hour? Where was he?

"Ah Merlin's pants! He owes me five galleons and I'm running out of money at the bar! Tell him to find me if you see him, alright?"

"Right on," said Rose, saluting sarcastically. "Should you really be drinking this much, James?"

But he was already gone, disappearing back into the crowd. The next hour went by in a blur as Rose danced and honestly had a lot of fun with Dom, Vinny, and whoever else made their way over to them. She hadn't once seen Scorpius nor Lily and this small fact seemed to brighten her mood.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead after her favorite song ended, and the music died away as Myron once again called for attention.

His eccentric appearance was really not so much the kind of look Rose would have imagined for Lily Potter's wedding, but disregarded it without care.

"Is everyone having a wicked time?" he asked loudly into his wand.

Most of the crowd, excluding Rose of course, joined in the cheering. Various colored lanterns were floating throughout the air, along with pixie's that were busy fluttering their wings to give the sort of flashing lights effect. Drinks were being served on zooming platters all around and if Rose had to be honest, she might have admitted this party was pretty brilliant.

But she wasn't going to be honest so it didn't matter.

Myron announced the last song, which happened to be cheesy yet completely depressing so Rose used the excuse to help straighten up the marquee. She pulled out her wand and began disposing the empty glasses and plates that had been left abandoned on the tables.

There was a familiar chuckle and she glanced up to find her mother and father dancing a little ways away. Her mother was scolding her father on how to properly dance, and Rose could only imagine the humility her father was feeling.

She smiled, knowing just how much her father hated dancing yet put up with it only because of the love he shared with her mother.

Hermione and Ron were not the most conventional of couples, but their love was honest and unyielding. There had been many, many fights between them but somehow their love for one another seemed to pull them through.

Sometimes Rose envied them.

* * *

It was safe to say the next morning at breakfast was all but cheery.

Dom, abandoning all food, rested her face against the table and a small snore could be heard over the mauling that James seemed to manage with his eggs and toast. Al was being scolded by Grandma Molly for arriving late at breakfast, while Vinny repeatedly blinked her eyes to keep from falling asleep.

The family had crashed at the Burrow after the rehearsal and found the open drinks of last night catching up to them.

Except for Rose, who always remained safely behind her smart choices.

She prodded at her eggs, glaring at the empty chair across from her that so normally would have been occupied by Lily.

But sweet little Lily was already busy honeymooning away with Scorpius on some remote island in the middle of nowhere.

It was probably romantic, flourished with exotic flowers and stupid little cupids flying above their heads shooting down bundles of love by the pound.

Rose hissed under her breath, hoping the two might die from the heat.

Okay, maybe that was harsh. Perhaps they could run across some unknown creature, maybe a dragon, and come down with a serious disease full of insufferable pain.

Yes, that sounded better.

"You're very quiet this morning, Rose," Grandma Molly noted, surveying her closely.

Normally this would indeed have been an odd sight, considering Rose happened to be quite the morning person; however, she assumed the given circumstances sufficed for her lack of conversing. She all but bit back her retort that it might have had something do with the fact that the love of her life —strike that— ex love of her life married her cousin yesterday.

"Just tired," Rose answered simply, hoping her defeat sounded less pathetic than it sounded to her.

"Pass the bacon Red," James said suddenly, taking a large gulp of orange juice.

Grandma Molly smacked him in the head from behind.

"Manners!"

"Ouch!" James cried, throwing her a look before forcing a tight smile. "Sorry, Gran. Red, please pass the bacon, _my dearest cousin_."

Rose couldn't help but laugh and passed over the blue plate that smelled so fattening that she had to grimace.

She hated bacon.

"How can you not be feeling as horrible as me?" Al asked, rubbing his eyes. "You drank twice what I did."

James shrugged and gave a smug grin.

"All in good practice, my brother."

Al groaned, forcing a piece of toast down.

"Serves you lot right," Gran scolded. "Your parents weren't half as bad as you all are!"

"Well they were sort of saving the world, weren't they?" Al muttered with a grimace.

Everyone refrained from comment as Harry Potter himself waltzed into the kitchen with a cheery smile; Ginny right at his heels.

"Good morning children," he said happily, ruffling Al's hair as he walked by. He kissed Gran on the cheek and settled for the head of the table, casting an odd look at the semi-unconscious Dom.

There was a loud bang as the kitchen door swung open and Hugo slumped in, throwing himself into a seat with too much force.

Rose cocked a brow at him.

"What's your problem?"

"Couldn't sleep," he muttered, ruffling his brown hair. "Mum and dad had a row again."

Rose sighed. So this explained their absence at breakfast this morning. Oh well, that was how love worked she supposed. One minute all is well, and the next your ex boyfriend is marrying your cousin.

Scowling, Rose brought her cup of coffee to her lips. It burned, but only just.

"Have you packed yet?" Hugo asked as Gran set a plate full of bacon and eggs in front of him.

There was a heavy silence that Rose didn't understand. She eyed her brother wearily.

"For what?"

Hugo glanced around the room before too obviously poking at his eggs; his eyes snapping to his plate.

"Never mind."

Rose knew her brother too well and knew when he was lying to her. The way his cheeks burned slightly, the way he avoided eye contact all together, and his weak tone gave it away.

She glanced around the table, watching with concern as everyone –apart from Dom– began inhaling their food. Even Al was forcing down more toast than necessary and even managed a few bites of egg.

She narrowed her eyes.

"What am I missing here?"

Rose, almost feeling guilty, used the intensity of her stare on Vinny, whom she knew would crack. She gave a 'well?' sort of look.

Vinny glanced desperately around the table for help but found nothing. Her lip twitched before she gave a nervous laugh.

"Well…Rose…you see…"

"Spit it out, _Lavinia_," Rose practically seethed, earning a wince from Vinny at having used her full name.

She didn't like this. This unknown elephant in the room and the feeling that everyone around her knew something she didn't.

"You know how…LilyandScorpius" - Rose winced as Vinny practically strung their names together - "went away on that island?"

Rose nodded, not wanting to acknowledge this fact anymore than necessary.

Vinny drummed her nails on the table, a sure sign of her nervousness. Rose could feel her nerves biting at her. What was she missing here? She tried to form some sort of expected tale that would pertain to their absence in a way that might concern her.

After everything that happened, how bad could it be? She had already hit rock bottom, how much further could she go?

"Well…it's sort of tradition…for…Purebloods of ancient ways…to gather, with family, away…" Vinny's face twisted in confusion at her own words and Rose couldn't help but mirror her actions.

"What Vinny is trying to say is that Lily and Scorpius aren't the only ones going away," Al finally cut in, eyeing Rose in a way that made her uncomfortable. His gaze was so tentative it was as though she were some crazed beast about to attack its prey.

Rose blinked.

"I'm…not following this…"

"We're all going to Korra Island, Rose," Al said softly. "The wedding party, our family, your family, the Malfoy family, everyone."

Yes, Rose concluded, rock bottom isn't the lowest point one can possibly sink.

She had just sunk lower.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you liked it! Reviews are much appreciated! =) I forgot to mention ages of the other characters so they are as follows:**

**Lily - 20 years old**

**Rose - 21 years old**

**Scorpius - 21 years old**

**Albus - 21 years old**

**James - 22 years old**

**Teddy - 27 years old**

**Remember to check previous author notes for the casting of the other characters if you haven't already! I also want to point out something. Several reviewers have said 'why is Rose going through this? Can't she say no?' To answer, the way I've constructed Rose is that she's a very strong, prideful, independent person. She would rather suffer the pain than believe others would think her weak. She could have said no to being in the wedding, but in her eyes that would make her weak and she can't stand to be pitied. The same goes for going to Korra Island. She wants to prove to everyone that she isn't suffering from the marriage..even if she really is. She's much like her mother as I can imagine Hermione reacting similar. :P **

**So yes, everyone will be at the island. I decided that it's tradition for wizarding families to celebrate marriages this way..by inviting close family and friends away on a vacation in order to participate in events to unite the two families. As the Potter/Weasley family is basically one unit, that's why both parties are going. =)**


	5. And I Caused Nothing But Trouble

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait; many stories being written! Hope you like it.**

**Casting: **Viktoriya Sasonkina as Victoire Weasley (age 26); Cristiano Ronaldo as Damon Nott (age 21); Olivia Wilde as Astoria (Greengrass) Malfoy (mid forties); Leighton Meester as Elena Finnigan (age 20). Not sure I mentioned this but Rose, Scorpius, Dom, and Al are 21 years old. James is 22 and Teddy is 27. I find ages are good to know for a mental picture. ;)

* * *

"From the deepest desires often come the deadliest hate." - Socrates

**Ch 5 – And I Caused Nothing But Trouble**

To say that Rose had rotten luck was probably the understatement of the century. No, it ran much deeper than a serious of unfortunate events and unlikely circumstances.

In fact if she was honest, she'd swear she was cursed for some apparent wrong doing of her past. After her screaming bits with her family about attending the little family 'get together' (if that's what you wanted to call it), to her meltdown which resulted in two broken vases and Grandma Molly's favorite magical clock (for which she really was sorry and promised to have it fixed), and finally after her vow of silence….Rose decided she would go on this little outing of torture.

Her mother and aunt wanted her to go simply to prove to Scorpius that he didn't dictate where she could or would go. Dom, being the selfish little brat she is, wanted her to go so she didn't have to endure it alone with only Vinny. Al, Vinny, and James thought it was stupid for her to go while Hugo found it somewhat amusing. Uncle Harry had been the reasonable, logical one who broke the chaos and informed everyone that it was Rose's decision whether or not to go; and it would be completely understandable for anyone in her situation for them not to attend.

That was what changed Rose's mind. She didn't want anyone thinking that Scorpius and Lily had that much of an effect on her. No, she would rather suffer seeing them together than have everyone whispering behind her back during the trip about how she just 'couldn't endure' such a thing.

But that wasn't really what made her luck so horrible. Sure, she had finally agreed to visit some random island in the Caribbean with her ex love of her life and cousin, but never did she imagine being so relieved to arrive.

First of all, it all started with the fact that Rose was never one to doubt Muggle inventions or their way of living for the matter.

That was before she had experienced an airplane.

As their group was so vast, they had broken up into two separate ones. Uncle Harry was in charge of the first group, which consisted of Aunt Ginny, Teddy, Victoire, Damon, and Vinny. While on the other hand, Rose was stuck in the second group lead by Granddad Weasley with Dom, James, Albus, Lucy, and Elena. Apparently Rose's parents were supposed to be coming, but were still engaged in a heated argument in which the reasons remained disclosed.

It was unknown whether or not they would show up at some point. Hugo, the lucky wanker, got to stay home.

After Granddad Weasley had lined up Rose's group like they were five, gone over all the proper instructions for boarding the flight, spent an extra ten minutes on the examination of a moving sidewalk, he then proceeded to go over words that shouldn't be said in a airport or on the plane for any reason.

Words like assassin, bomb, and gun.

All seemed well until Rose asked stupidly if 'terrorist' should be included on the list.

Security had practically jumped her before she knew what was up from down. How the damn Muggles heard her over Granddad was beyond her or how they got there that quickly for the matter. Apparently Granddad could give an entire list of banned words in public and it was okay, but heaven forbid Rose even mutter one of the words without clearly being some type of suspicious citizen worthy of terrorism.

She then had to spend the next fifty minutes, causing their group to miss their flight (Uncle Harry's group had left hours ago on another plane), in a padded room being questioned by a really smelly man with a nasally voice named Dirk Jenkins. She had debated just whipping out her wand and taking care of the situation except for the fact that Granddad had explained that security in airports were so secure with their Muggle devices that it was prohibited by the Ministry to use magic there.

Why the Brazilian Ministry wouldn't set up a portkey or allow apparition to their island was beyond Rose. Of course Scorpius and Lily chose the most remote location where it took ten years to get there and made everything all the more complicated.

Once Dirk finally decided that Rose wasn't a threat, the group was able to re-ticket and board a flight to Jamaica. From there they would meet at the location given to Granddad and take a boat to Korra Island. Rose suspected magic would definitely be involved at this point.

Things were looking slightly better when she boarded the flight, until she read her ticket and saw where she was to sit. 12B might as well of said 'seat of hell.' On her right sat a man who might have weighed more than an elephant and whom smelled of cottage cheese, and on her left was a young mother with a screaming three year old son who insisted his mother give him the red lolly in her hand.

When the plane landed a painful 19 hours later, Rose would have gladly ran into the arms of Lily and Scorpius at the same time if it meant she never again had to see that screaming, bratty hellion who happened to throw such an intense tantrum about 10 hours in, that his hand slipped and his beloved red lolly got cut in Rose's hair. Nor would she have to spend another second pinching her nose in order not to vomit from the stench of the enormous man who apparently was named Steve Small.

How completely inappropriate his name was.

But that really wasn't all. No, Rose's luck couldn't have stopped there. Why stop ruining her life now? Why not keep going? See how many points you can score for the home team before the loser finally falls.

"I look ridiculous," Rose seethed; attempting to pull down one of Dom's much too tight tank tops. She was standing in front of a cracked mirror at a pub called The Black Cat.

It was a really stupid name, Rose had decided, considering nothing in this dingy piece of work had anything to do with cats or the color black for the matter. The wall paper was torn, brown stains were embroidered into the tile, and one of the lavatory stalls had a missing door.

"It's fine," Dom reassured, too busy reapplying her mascara to take notice of Rose's scowl. "I'm sure we can get you some new clothes before we leave for the island and at least we got that lolly out before you had to cut it."

Naturally, the airline had lost her luggage. Even though the lady at the front desk had reassured Rose that it was probably a mistake, that it rarely ever happens, she wasn't surprised to land in that tiny 5% of guests who lose their luggage.

"Why do you wear everything two sizes too small?" she hissed, annoyed at the jean shorts which were by far too short. Honestly, didn't Dom have some modesty?

"If you're calling me fat Rose save it. We both know that's a lie," Dom replied coolly, smirking.

Rose rolled her eyes and with one last sigh in the mirror, followed Dom from the restroom and continued to pick apart the sticky strands of hair by her face.

Stupid lollipop. Stupid kid.

The rest of the gang was waiting for them in the pub. James and Al were taking advantage of the down time to eat, while Lily's other two bridesmaids Lucy and Elena were both suffering from what Granddad liked to call 'jet lag.' This suited Rose fine, as Lucy was on her top three hate list and Elena hardly spoke to anyone other than Lily and Lucy.

Granddad was hunched over a large display of maps, atlases, and pieces of parchment as Rose took the empty seat next to Al. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy had apparently went to the island early, and Scorpius's other groomsmen Will was unable to attend due to coming down with some type of flu.

"Guess who else is coming, Dom?" called Al through a mouthful of meatloaf.

Dom raised a brow at him before taking a seat next to James. "Who?"

"The Scamander's," said Al, a glint in his eyes.

Dom's face hardened and Rose thought red flashed in her eyes. Lucy perked up slightly.

"What are you talking about?" Rose asked before Dom or Lucy could reply.

But it was Granddad who spoke, not bothering to look up from his maps. "The Ministry has been given a tip that dragons are mating somewhere on the island and reaching uncontrollable numbers."

"But wouldn't the Brazilian Ministry handle that?" asked Rose, frowning at the thought of visiting an island where possible dragon mating was occurring.

"Normally yes," said Granddad, marking something on his map before glancing back up. "But it seems they've been neglecting the smaller islands in the Caribbean for some reason. Our Ministry is the largest in the world and therefore must get involved if a problem becomes noticeable."

There was a moment of silence where Rose wanted to smack Lucy across the face for her annoying grin. Before she could act on impulse however, James raised a hand. "So let me get this straight. My idiot of a sister decided to choose an island…that has _dragons_?"

"From the looks of it I don't think it will be a problem," said Granddad, gesturing toward the maps. "The island is rather vast, and dragons will most likely be near the volcanoes and caves; which of course, where we won't be."

"Except for Lorcan and Lysander," said Rose, who cast Dom a glance. She had been silent for the most part but was staring rather harshly at a spot on the table. Rose then made a face. "Is it safe for just the two of them to check it out?"

"They've been studying dragons for years, Rosie," said Al, before gulping down the remainder of his soda. "Besides, they'll probably stay in one of the huts we're staying at."

Rose nodded, trying to absorb the new information of staying in a 'hut' for the next week. She wasn't sure what she was going to do about clothes, or what was in store for her considering this new development with possible dragon sightings. One thing she did know however was that this was going to be one hell of a trip.

* * *

The scalding sun glazed harshly against Rose's face, causing her to squint her eyes as she attempted to take in her surroundings. The pure white sand between her sandals was warm and the sound of crashing waves was soothing but the humidity was enough to make her want to scream. There were about five or so huts along the beach, surrounded by tropical flowers and trees. A large fire pit was situated in the middle of the huts, as well as a shaded canopy fit with benches and tables. It was definitely a beautiful location; that much Rose couldn't deny.

She pulled out a pair of recently purchased sunglasses from her purse and put them on before her eyes zeroed in on a large group of people making their way toward her.

The first Rose focused in on was her Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny, closely followed by the Malfoy's; thankfully, only two of them.

"Made it okay, then?" asked Harry, holding out a hand and shaking Granddad's.

Lucy and Elena scampered away without socializing in order to find Lily. Rose looked away, focusing on the crystal blue water of the ocean and tuned out their chatter. Who cared where Lily was? She sure didn't.

"Had a bit of trouble at the airport," said Granddad, glancing at Rose wearily.

She huffed as the Malfoy's looked at her; Draco's stare so much like his son's with its intensity. "Well go on," she snapped. "Tell them all what happened then." Her tone was resentful but heaven knows everyone was bound to find out.

"So you were the trouble, Rose? What a surprise," came a voice. Rose turned and Damon Nott confidently strode over, ruffling his dampened dark hair. His only clothing was a pair of what looked like swimming trunks and Rose averted her eyes out of instinct. She wasn't used to seeing guys without their shirts, aside from Scorpius and her family. Honestly, there was no reason to look at anyone else when Scorpius was around. Still though, Damon's muscles were enough to even have Dom raise a brow.

"Where am I staying?" Rose asked impatiently, deciding she didn't in fact need to hear the story about her almost arrest again. Besides, her arms were beginning to ache from the three large bags she was holding. With the help of Dom and Al, she found a boutique and was able to purchase a new set of clothes; however, the selection was rather small and she looked like the typical tourist out for the first time and cursed floral prints more than ever.

"I'll show you," said Damon, grinning as he ran a hand through his hair. "You and Vinny are sharing a hut. She's already inside sleeping. Shocker."

Rose couldn't help but snort. Vinny wasn't much of a beach person due to the fact that she burned after about two minutes in the sun. Why she agreed to come was beyond Rose.

"Well where am I?" Dom asked incredulously, obviously offended that she didn't get to stay with Rose and Vinny.

"With Vic," answered Teddy, who had just appeared behind the very quiet Malfoy's. It was obvious to Rose they felt out of place and based on their attire, that statement wasn't far off the mark. Draco was dressed reasonably, with creamed colored matching trousers and button up shirt. Astoria on the other hand, looked like she had just stepped out of a magazine with her high pumps and dangly jewelry. Honestly, Rose had no idea why anyone would wear jewelry to a beach.

"Shall we get settled then?" asked Uncle Harry, clapping his hands together before an argument over sleeping arrangements was permitted. Rose mumbled something non-coherent and followed Damon, who had been kind enough to carry her bags, to her hut.

* * *

Rose had successfully managed to avoid Lily and Scorpius for the remainder of the day. She had unpacked and repacked her clothes a good three times, changed her bed sheets twice, and even helped Elena back onto the boat with Granddad. Though Rose had virtually no opinion of the girl, she had unfortunately been bitten by some bug and suffered from an allergic reaction.

Aunt Ginny had tried to make it go away, but no matter what magic she used the blotches wouldn't budge. Apparently Granddad wasn't staying anyway, and offered to take Elena home.

It was really too bad she couldn't go back with them...

_Ah well_, she thought. _That's one off the list._

Chuckling at her own dark humor, she placed her hands on her hips and sighed. She had to admit, their 'hut' so to say was one of the most luxurious little things she had ever set foot in. The interior was dressed in solid white with accents of blue as clear as the ocean. There were two bedrooms, one bathroom, a sitting room, and a small kitchen. But Rose's favorite part was the small balcony that led from her room and onto the ocean.

She could definitely get used to this.

A loud knock issued from her door.

She winced. If only the company was as nice as her surroundings…

"Bonfire, you coming?"

Albus Potter. Always to the point.

Rose tried to peer around the figure in the doorway but James was right behind him. Her eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms.

"I don't know," she said coolly. "What's in it for me?"

Nothing but pain, was her first thought. The truth was that she wanted to stay locked away in her hut the entire week and she was sure everyone here knew that for the matter.

"Rose, you can't stay in here the entire time you know," said Al, frowning. "Dad's making us cook hot dogs." He winced slighty and added, "Without magic."

A grin formed on Rose's face. "What? Why?"

"Something about being deprived of camping trips from his childhood," said James indifferently, crossing his large arms and blocking any light that might remain from the crackling fire. He was just so big…

"You know how he gets," added Al, cracking a smile. He then gave her a serious expression. "You'll hurt his feelings if you don't come."

Her eyes narrowed. "Are you trying to guilt me into coming?"

He raised a brow. "Is it working?"

"Maybe."

"Good then come on!" roared James, and before she could blink he grabbed her by the wrist and tugged her away.

Rose tried to turn around. "But Vi—"

"-Is sleeping. We know. Leave her alone, Red."

She frowned before glaring, yanking her arm away. "Don't man-handle me, James."

"_Man handle_?" he questioned, leading her past Dom and Victoire's hut. "You have to be a man to be man-handled, Red."

"Oh you know what I mean," she snapped at him, now agitated. What was even more annoying was how Albus was trailing behind her, as if waiting for her to make a run for it.

Gits.

She sighed. "Why are you doing this to me? Why can't you leave me alone?"

"Because we love you, Red. We're not letting you hide away all week."

She muttered something under her breath but it was soon forgotten as they approached the large bonfire. She kept her gaze on the ground, refusing to look at the happy couple.

Logs were situated around the fire and Rose all but sprinted toward the empty spot next to Teddy. It was that, or the one by Lucy who was by Lily. No way in hell.

"Glad you could grace us with your positive presence Rose," said Teddy, smacking her on the back. He brought his usual cigarette to his mouth before exhaling into the smoke.

Rose glared at his sarcasm and grabbed the stupid stick from his mouth, throwing it into the fire and ignoring his protests.

"What was that for!" he asked incredulously, his dark eyes glowing in the fire light.

"I told you it'll kill you Teddy," Rose countered, crossing her arms and not feeling bad about it. Victoire snickered and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"So anyway," Uncle Harry cut in, always the mediator, "who has the hot dogs?"

Everyone laughed, even Rose, and soon chatter filled the awkward silences that had been lingering in the air.

Rose was a little annoyed Dom had gone to bed, but kept a nice conversation with Teddy and Victoire. James of course interrupted when he felt like it, like always, and she had almost gone an entire hour without looking at Scorpius.

His voice, though smooth and low, had carried rather loudly when he spoke of a memory she recalled very clearly. Quidditch had somehow been brought up and Scorpius recalled the first time he had flown at Hogwarts.

"My father" – he spoke of his father this way because Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy had turned in early – "had taught me to fly when I was about six. So for my first flying lesson at the school I had expected to be better than everyone else but I didn't expect to perform a rescue."

At this he gave a glance across the fire, eyes locking with Rose. Her breath hitched and he smirked arrogantly.

* * *

_"I have a Firebolt," Scorpius boasted, sticking his chest out.  
_

_Rose glared at him, hating the boy more and more with each passing minute. Honestly, she had to ride with him on the train, share a boat with him, and now she was in his Potions, History of Magic, Charms, and now flying lessons.  
_

_The wind had picked up drastically and her red curls blew around her face. She was a little surprised they were going to learn to fly with a storm brewing in, but Madam Hooch promised they'd be finished before it arrived.  
_

_"It's not about the broomstick Malfoy," said Rose, unable to stop herself. "The broomstick is only as good as its flyer." She gave a cocky smirk, indicating an insult.  
_

_But he was unabashed or else expected this. Albus was standing nearby with a worried expression, perhaps sensing the upcoming battle.  
_

_"You don't think I can fly, do you Weasley?" Scorpius challenged, raising a brow.  
_

_"Probably not," replied Rose coolly. She had no doubt he could but wouldn't dare admit it. A light sprinkle began to fall but her hard expression never faltered.  
_

_"No doubt not as good as you, right?"  
_

_Stiffening slightly, she nodded once. She was no expert but she could go up and down; right and left. Not bad for someone who had only flown ten times at most.  
_

_"Go on then," said Scorpius, waving his hand at her. "Show me."  
_

_Rose paled. "What?"  
_

_"Show me how good you are. Unless of course…you're as bad as all the other Weasley's. Wouldn't want to embarrass yourself."  
_

_A few murmurs broke through the crowd of students over the wind. Her cousin Dom, also a Gryffindor, glared at the arrogant Slytherin but Al shook his head worriedly, covering his face from the rain with his cloak. A few others joined in.  
How dare him! How dare he challenge her in front of everyone…calling her out like that and insulting her family! Well, perhaps he thought she'd back out by the confident smirk that now graced his lips. Unfortunately for Scorpius Malfoy, had did not know Rose Weasley very well at all.  
_

_"Fine," she said flippantly, mounting her broom before she could stop herself.  
_

_She ignored Al's protests and quickly made sure Madam Hooch had not returned from retrieving the extra brooms she had shortened the students.  
_

_Her broom quickly rose in the air and she shakily held control of it, fighting against the wind and rain. The Gryffindors cheered loudly as she rose higher and higher until she was a good twenty feet off the ground. Adrenaline pulsed through her veins and she watched with satisfaction as Scorpius's mouth dropped in awe. Al smacked his forehead at her gesture and she smiled more triumphantly than ever.  
_

_But the wind was picking up with each passing second and her fingers were beginning to slip against the wooden handle.  
_

_Lightning flashed above. A crack in her ears and blinding light made her lose control. She let out a scream of panic when she felt the wind pushing and pulling her forward. Who was she kidding, she wasn't a good flyer! She had been arrogant and proud. And now she was going to pay for it.  
_

_Closing her eyes, she lost control of the broom and slipped from the side with another boom of thunder. She let out another scream, water pelting against her face.  
_

_Green…green…green. She was going to hit the ground. Hard.  
_

_Suddenly something strong latched itself around her wrist, pulling her to an abrupt stop midair. Eyes widening she glanced up at the hand grasping hers and gasped so loud, it was a surprise it wasn't heard over the thunder.  
_

_"Still think I can't fly, Weasley?"  
_

_She glared at him through the rain that now dripped down her face.  
_

_"I'll take that as a thank you, then."_

_

* * *

_

The group was in a fit of laughter, and Rose stubbornly crossed her arms and looked away from his arrogant face. The worst part of the situation was that Madam Hooch had seen the entire thing from one of the castle windows and _she_ was the one punished! She had to serve detention with the flying professor (Rose didn't really count this as detention though and DID NOT tell her parents about it) while Scorpius was allowed to practice with the Slytherin team because of his 'heroic' flying was simply 'superb.'

Such unjustice!

_"Miss Weasley, I do not appreciate you trying to show off in front of the students. You should feel lucky Mr. Malfoy was there and was able to save you."_

The words were still fresh in her mind and would forever make her skin boil. Had the Seeker not been a seventh year for Slytherin, their captain said he would have been on the team.

It was a memory that would surely haunt her forever; how her big mouth had gotten her in trouble.

Funny, that tended to happen a lot.

* * *

**A/N: Comments are much appreciated! How are the characters? Which one is your favorite? =)**


	6. Return to Where We Were

**A/N: Sorry for the wait. Thanks for your patience! Enjoy!**

* * *

"Are you the kind that sees signs, that sees miracles? Or do you believe that people just get lucky? Or, look at the question this way:

Is it possible that there are no coincidences?" - _Signs_

**Ch 6 - Return to Where We Were**

"So explain to me…why the _bloody hell_ are we doing this?"

James, probably the fittest in the entire group, was standing on top of a large rock, hands on his hips with sweat slithering down his exposed back. The sun was beating down on him, casting a sort of halo-effect around his face.

A bit misleading, really. Rose knew he was anything but an angel and complained whenever he had the chance.

Still though, he had a point.

The group had split into two; each exploring parts of the island as some sort of 'family adventure' so to say. Uncle Harry had taken their wands, claiming this type of adventure should be made without magic. Rose suspected this too was another stab at missing moments in his childhood.

"Because it's all part of the experience, James," said Uncle Harry, grimacing and stretching as he halted the group.

Rose was thankful for the week she had spent in the Amazon for Auror training. If she could survive that without a bit of magic, she could easily survive this. She stopped next to Albus, who was looking oddly less out of breath than James.

Maybe James wasn't in as good as shape as he used to be.

"You know, I bet Mr. Malfoy gave the girls their wands," said Albus, annoyed as he plunked down on a rock. Rose scowled at him and placed her hands on her hips.

"_I'm_ a girl and you don't see me with _my_ wand."

"You don't count," Al pointed out. "You're with the guy group."

She huffed childishly and crossed her arms, looking away from him as Scorpius approached with Teddy, both looking annoyingly handsome despite the buildup of dirt and sweat on their faces.

"I still don't see why I had to come with you guys," she protested.

James gave a loud snort. "Because you hate half the girls over there, Red."

"Not as much as I hate all of _you_," she replied with a pointed look.

"Now that's just not true," supplied Teddy, flashing a smile and pulling out a cigarette. "Besides, another bloke had to go with them so Malfoy's dad didn't go crazy."

Rose couldn't help but smirk as she remembered how enthusiastically Damon had agreed to go with their group. How or why Mr. Malfoy had agreed to lead the girls group was beyond her. Perhaps Astoria had ended up going with them; after all, Aunt Ginny had come with the boys group and Rose was beyond thankful for it. At least she wasn't the only girl.

"Why are you boys giving Rose such a hard time?" asked Aunt Ginny, looking perfectly at ease as she brought up the rear, carrying canteens of water she had just refilled.

"Because we just love her so much," joked James, pinching Rose's cheeks.

She batted his hands away and punched him roughly on the arm.

"Stop it you two," scolded Uncle Harry, grabbing a canteen and taking a swig. "We need to get a move on so we're back at camp before night falls."

* * *

"Well…" began Uncle Harry, tilting the tattered piece of parchment he was examining and narrowing his eyes at it. His grip was tight, fighting against the rising wind, "it seems we should be approaching that waterfall that will lead us back to camp." His eyes snapped up and he nodded. "Any time now."

"You said that like an hour ago dad," said Albus, who laid spread eagle across the jungle floor.

"That's because I thought we were going to find it an hour ago."

"In other words, we're lost," said James dreadfully, who had his arms crossed and was leaning against a tall tree, mirroring Scorpius. "Brilliant, dad. Things can't possibly get any worse than being lost in a dragon infested island with my parents."

Rose, who was beginning to doubt Uncle Harry's skills with reading maps, was resting with her head in her hands. The only thing she had eaten was eggs and bread; lunch consisting of a half cooked fish caught by James.

She had opted not to try it when it had twitched on her plate.

Thunder boomed from above and she felt before she heard a light rain begin to fall. She held out her hands, palms up, as it began to pour down.

"I stand corrected," James announced over the loud rain and crackling lightning.

"What now?" asked Aunt Ginny, covering her eyes with her hands.

"We find shelter," said Uncle Harry, pocketing the map. "This way!"

* * *

Rose could barely see as she trudged through the rainy forest; boots digging into the mud below and splashing up her legs with every step. She had never seen this much rain since the Amazon and a dark chuckle crept up her throat as she imagined the girls group caught in this storm. They were not by any means considered 'tough' with any amount of experience with wildlife. She on the other hand was an Auror in training which meant that caring about your hair and skin was left back at home.

She was distinctly aware that Scorpius was behind her, bringing up the rear of the group. Perhaps that was the uncontrollable urge that kept her moving forward without complaint?

To be honest, she was rather surprised with his ability to keep up with the rest of them. Sure, he was built well and his ability to ride a broom was quite the achievement but he seemed too…pretty for this type of outing.

Scorpius was never the type to appear disheveled. He always wore expensive suits and a hair was never out of place. Yet here he was, plowing through the large, leafy greenery as though this were perfectly normal. His white shirt was completely soaked and muddy; his khaki shorts equally as dirty with flecks of dirt through his sandy hair.

But even as Rose glanced back for the third time - out of habit of course - she couldn't help but find that she didn't mind the way he looked.

She only minded the way he smirked at her.

Scowling, she turned back around and allowed her eyes to zone in on the blurry, dark blob she knew to be the back of Albus's head. Either he was speeding up or she was slowing down for he looked much more ahead of her then the last time she glanced up. They had somehow managed to find the top of one of the mountains on the island and were now descending; a feat far more difficult in a storm.

Rose's eyes kept swiveling toward the edge of the cliff, making sure she didn't topple down the mountain.

"Rose."

The wind and rain tuned out her name and she shook her head slightly, rubbing the water from her squinting eyes and retying the band in her hair so it remained up and out of the way.

"Rose," Scorpius called again; this time more loudly.

Pausing slightly, she turned without stopping. "What?"

"Stop."

"What?"

"_Rose,_ _stop_!"

The urgency in his voice made her halt, along with the tight grip he held on her wrist. She stared at his hand with narrowed eyes, fighting the impulse to yank free.

"Do you hear that?"

Rose suppressed the urge to glare at him, considering it was nearly impossible to hear anything over the storm. She decided to throw him a cheeky smile. "In case you hadn't noticed Scorpius, we're in the middle of a tropical storm right about now."

He shook his head, ignoring her comment. "No, listen." He let go of her wrist and bent down, pressing his palm into the muddy ground.

_Thud…thud…thud.  
_

Now that she stopped and listened, she could definitely detect a repetitive thud. The noise could have easily passed as thunder, but now Rose was beginning to not only hear it, but feel it as well. She cast Scorpius a questioning look as he stood back up.

"We need to move," he said, pushing her forward.

"Scorpius, what's wr—"

She gasped, her words dying in her throat as from a distance behind him she spotted the trees part; a large, bronze scaled dragon with gleaming golden eyes stepping through and onto their path. Its thick claws dug into the mud and it stuck it's snout in the air before giving a loud roar over the storm; fire sprouting from its nostrils and flames erupting from the trees surrounding it.

"_RUN!_"

Rose didn't need telling twice as she turned and sprinted in the direction of her family. She pushed past the large, leafy plants that blocked her view as Scorpius was right at her heels, shoving her forward to go faster. Another loud roar told her the dragon was getting closer and she moved faster than she ever remembered in Auror training.

A dark blob came into view through the haze of the storm. Rose ran straight into the back of Albus just as he was about to turn around.

"Dragon, move!" she shouted at him, shoving him forward.

"Wha…?"

His words were drowned in the roar of the dragon, who was thrashing violently as its neck got caught in the branches of a tall tree. It was hard to distinguish due to the amount of rain but its sheer size was enough for Albus to notice it.

The three caught up to the rest of the group with panicked shouts and soon everyone was sprinting down the muddy pathway with Uncle Harry leading the group. Rose felt the adrenaline pulse through her veins as she tripped her way through the forest, grabbing hold to anyone she could in order not to fall behind. It was difficult to see, considering the forest was nothing but trees and shrubbery and the rain continued to pound down.

Suddenly Rose knocked into the back of James as the group came to a halt. Out of breath and not understanding why they were stopping, she leaned forward only to be grabbed harshly from the back.

"Dead end!" shouted Uncle Harry, glancing around frantically. "We need to reach higher ground."

"There is _no higher ground_, dad!"

Albus was leaning over the edge of the cliff, eyeing the waterfall straight across that flowed at least thirty feet into the raging river below.

Rose gulped. Looks like they found that waterfall after all…

The dragon was closing in on them, fire erupting from its mouth with another definite roar. It didn't appear to be fully grown but it was definitely too large to tackle without magic. Blood pounding, Rose grimaced as she stood next to Albus, staring down at the water.

"We have to jump," she said, her voice higher than usual.

Eyes widening, Scorpius rounded on her. "_What?_"

"We have to jump!" she shouted, this time staring at her uncle. From an Auror standpoint, she knew what they had to do and could tell by the way her uncle looked at her so did he. "Dragons can't swim. It's the only shot we have," she added.

"Have you lost your mind, Rose?" James shouted at her. "Do you realize how _far_ of a jump that is!"

The ground shook as the dragon came into view. Its head shook in their direction and Rose knew it was having trouble seeing them through the rain. Dragons didn't have the best eye sight in general but they were able to smell out their prey such that it would only be a matter of minutes before it got to them.

"We don't have another choice!" Aunt Ginny yelled. She cast an anxious glance at everyone in the group before her eyes landed on her husband.

Uncle Harry nodded, wasting no time and used to these types of situations. "On three."

"Dad, no!" James protested. Aunt Ginny stripped her jacket off. Rose pulled out the pocket knife she had tucked into her sock, gripping it tightly in her hand.

"One!"

"This is crazy!"

"Two!"

"Wait, dad!"

"THREE!"

And Rose jumped upon feeling an intense amount of heat at her back. She screamed, hands flailing in midair as she plummeted toward the water below. The impact was harder than she imagined and it took a few seconds submerged under the cool water before she remembered to kick. Her hands and legs moved as fast as they could against the raging current, swallowing a large gulp of water that made her lungs constrict painfully.

Her head broke the surface and she gasped only a second before the current pulled her back under. She kept a hold on her knife as her arms and legs thrashed wildly before she realized the current was too strong. She managed to get a last breath before she laid on her back, crossing her arms and legs and allowing the current to pull her down the river. It was a lesson she had learned in Auror training and was more than thankful she had paid attention.

Just as she was about to grab another breath, something strong grabbed her by the back of her shirt and the next thing she knew, someone was pulling her up. Jagged rocks dug into her back and she hissed out in pain as she was dragged upward; coughing up bits of water.

The strong hold let go and Rose turned to rest on all fours, panting and gasping for air as she dropped her knife onto the ground. Her eyes traveled over the small rocks under her palms until they landed on a single figure.

Scorpius was bent over, hands resting on his thighs as he sucked in bits of air through his teeth. His shirt was ripped from the shoulder to his stomach and he glanced up to meet her eye.

"You okay?" he asked through deep breaths.

She nodded, grimacing as she grabbed her knife and stood up slowly. The weight was almost too much for her shaky legs and she swayed into Scorpius.

"Rose!"

"Scorpius, are you alright!"

The shouts sounded far away but none the less reached Rose's ear and she turned in the direction of the voices. On the other side of the river and several feet closer to the waterfall stood the rest of their group; all except Albus, whom she couldn't see at all.

"We're okay!" Rose shouted back, holding her hand to cover her eyes so she could see a bit better. It didn't help much and a loud roar from above made her turn in its direction.

Sighing, she was relieved as the dragon gave one last roar and turned from the cliffs edge.

She heard Aunt Ginny's frantic shouts as another figure emerged some feet down or so along the river. Scorpius ran into the water knee deep and over to what appeared to be Albus, wrapping his arm around him to support his weight and help him to shore.

Breathing deeply, Rose sat on a large rock and glanced up. The skies were darkening slightly as the sun began setting behind the clouds. She knew their time was beginning to run out. They needed to find their way back to camp before night settled in and took away their source of light.

"Albus! Are you alright?" Aunt Ginny shouted, running toward the river before Uncle Harry grabbed her from behind.

"I'm fine!" Al yelled back, grimacing as Scorpius brought him over to rest next to Rose.

He had a gash across his forehead and blood was dripping down his cheek. She moved over to him quickly, cutting the bottom of her ridiculously ugly floral shirt with her knife. He tried to ignore Rose, who smacked him across the arm.

"Sit still!" she scolded. "We need to stop the bleeding." She wrapped the cloth around his head and gave it a tight pull. "That'll have to do for now."

"What do we do?" Scorpius yelled over the river.

"There's no way to cross the river! The current's too strong!" Teddy shouted.

Rose thought she saw Uncle Harry nodding to confirm this. "We're going to have to follow it down!"

Dread flooded her and she pushed the wet hair out of her eyes, hoping she had heard wrong. She stood up at once. "_What?_"

"Follow the river and keep heading toward the shoreline, just like training, Rose!"

"This isn't training, Uncle!" Rose shouted back angrily. She cursed under her breath, furious beyond words that Uncle Harry had left their wands back at camp. Honestly, what was he thinking? This innocent little endeavor had almost cost them their lives!

James shouted something that Rose couldn't hear.

"What?" she and Scorpius responded.

"We have to keep moving!"

Lightning crackled above and Rose gave an agitated sigh. "Fine!"

She gave one longing, desperate look at her family before turning to face Scorpius, glaring at him fiercely in a way that clearly read 'this is your fault.'

"Don't look at me like that," he growled at her as she stormed past him and took coverage under the trees. It dulled the rain slightly and helped with her vision.

"Shut up, Scorpius," she gritted, groaning as she noticed how wrinkly her hands were becoming. Honestly, she looked like a sewer rat and the way her clothes clung to her body made her feel completely disgusting. She just wanted to get dry and his presence was enough to set her off. She stopped short and rounded on him. "And _you_, of all people I have to get stuck with!"

"I'm here too!" Albus interjected, looking offended as he made to follow.

Scorpius ignored him and stared after Rose for a moment. She decided not to notice the way he still looked radiant with water dripping down his face and how his wet clothes clung to his perfectly sculpted body. "I saved your life," he pointed out coldly. "You should be thanking me."

"I was handling myself just fine!" she bit back, glancing back toward the river through the trees and noticing with sadness she could no longer see the rest of her family.

She groaned once more.

Scorpius mumbled something she didn't catch and the three trudged through the forest without further conversation.

* * *

The rain had finally subdued and night had fallen. The stars provided little light and Rose was thankful they had the moons glow to guide their path. Though she wouldn't admit it out-loud, she was beginning to become slightly nervous. The three had been walking at least an hour or two and they still hadn't come across camp; and even more worrisome, they hadn't heard from their family when they shouted over the river.

The silence was beginning to eat away at Rose and she tried to find comfort in the sounds from the forest around her; the scurrying of creatures, the hooting of owls, and the soft ruffling of the plants. She frequently had to keep glancing behind her to make sure Scorpius and Albus was still there. She couldn't help but notice how familiar this felt. All those years of running around with Albus and Scorpius came flooding back to her as though it were yesterday.

A dull ache resided in her chest. So much was different, yet so much was the same.

"We should find somewhere to stop," suggested Scorpius suddenly. "And start back tomorrow morning when we're not so tired."

"Who said anything about being tired?" Rose quipped at him, stopping and resting her hands on her hips. Truth be told, she was beginning to feel pretty tired. Not that she'd ever tell him that. She took a breath and set back on course.

"He's right, Rose," said Albus, jogging to keep up with them.

She rounded on him at once. "Don't you dare side with him like you _always_ did in school."

He looked like he wanted to protest but his next remark was drowned by a deep sigh from Scorpius. "Look Rose, you and I both know it's stupid to navigate through an unfamiliar territory in the dark, and when we're tired."

She stopped suddenly and turned around with wide eyes. Her reaction wasn't because he was right, but more so because his words were almost completely identical to what Uncle Harry had told her in Auror training when going over survival instincts.

He crossed his arms and leaned against a tall tree, awaiting her response. Albus looked at her desperately and she frowned slightly, noticing how the blood from his cut had seeped through the cloth.

Deciding she wouldn't admit Scorpius was right, she simply nodded. "We should rest and find something to eat and drink. We can't allow ourselves to become dehydrated. It's already humid on this stupid island."

"Then we need to seek shelter," said Albus, tossing a stick he had been holding into the forest.

Rose nodded with a sulky expression. Scorpius was right after all. She was tired, and hungry, and thirsty. She was miserable to say the least but wouldn't ever give him the pleasure of knowing that.

With another nod of reassurance to herself, she held her head high and allowed the two boys to lead the way through the forest.

Scorpius paused and glanced back to Rose.

"Do you always keep a knife on you?"

Her eyes narrowed at him. "Yes. Right next to me when I sleep at night, so don't get any ideas."

He chuckled darkly and held his hands up in defense. "Don't flatter yourself, Rose."

"Just like the good days..." Al muttered under his breath, a smirk playing at his lips.

* * *

**A/N: Well this story is beginning to turn into an adventure one, huh? =) Hope you liked the chapter.**


	7. All That Was There

**A/N: Thank you for waiting guys. Enjoy the chapter and trio time!**

* * *

"Grey sky, always floating by  
But I only peek when I'm allowed." - _Grey Sky Eyes_, Carbon Leaf

**Chapter 7 - All That Was There**

Dom fell into her bed with a loud thud. About five minutes into the day, she had wanted to drown herself in the ocean. Or bang her head against a rock, or possibly run repeatedly into a tree over and over. That was more entertaining than spending the day with Lily and her friends. Thankfully she had her sister and Damon for company, though the dark headed git preferred to spend most of his time trying to impress anyone that would give him attention. He was gorgeous; there was no denying it, but what good looking guy couldn't she get, anyway? She wasn't sure what was so special about Damon Nott to get her to look twice.

She rolled over and heard the soft snoring coming from Victoire's bedroom. It was an odd habit that her sister hated anyone to know of but Dom rather liked it. It made Victoire seem more human, she supposed; a human with faults and weaknesses. Victoire was and always had been the glory child of the family. Dom on the other hand, though just as beautiful, was far more reckless and disobedient.

But if the shoe fits…

Where was Rose, anyway? Their group hadn't gotten back yet and it was getting pretty late. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy were getting worried, Dom could tell. Lily was very adamant about Rose going in her father's group in the first place, and now was in full fledged panic considering none of them had returned.

_"But we should go look for them, right? What if they're hurt?" Lily had asked._

_"What we don't want is for everyone to get split up. We'll wait here until tomorrow morning and if they haven't returned, a few of us will go looking," Mr. Malfoy had told her._

Victoire didn't seem very concerned, confident that Teddy could take care of himself if something should happen. She suspected Uncle Harry had simply gotten overexcited and suggested they stay overnight out in the wilderness.

Dom had to admit, the idea was highly probable.

There was a soft knock, so soft against the distant snores from the other bedroom, that Dom almost missed it. She sat up in bed, grabbing the wand on the bedside table as the door creaked open. Her blonde curls spilled down her back wildly and she didn't even bother to care that she had no make-up on her face.

A pair of deep, bottle blue eyes reflected the moons glow from the nearby window as a shadowy figure came into view. Dom would recognize that mischievous smile and messy pile of bronze colored hair anywhere.

The intruder glanced around the room, taking in the amount clothes that were strung in all places and empty bottles that were sure to be once filled of whisky that cluttered the floor.

His voice was silky, laced with amusement,

"Bad time?"

* * *

"Guys, look what I got!"

Rose turned from her position on her 'rock' she liked to call a potential chair and brought her gaze to the shadowed figure in the mouth of the cave.

Albus was holding two, clearly dead by their lack of movement, fish from either hand. They were relatively large, possibly the size of his forearms and the shade of pearl blue with flecks of grey scales. But the size wasn't what made Rose gape. It was the fact that one had a missing head and the other looked as though it had been ripped to pieces and glued back together.

"What did you do to them?" Rose asked, horrified.

Albus blinked. "Okay, I know they look a little…"

"Mutilated?" Scorpius supplied, rising from the fire he had just created. Rose wouldn't dare admit it but she was secretly impressed he had managed to start one with a few sticks, stones, and some grassy material he had found in the forest.

She always had trouble with those damn fires without using magic.

Albus waved him off and moved into the cave, light catching his sweaty and tired-looking face. Rose had removed the bandage around his head and replaced it with a relatively clean piece from the bottom of Scorpius's shirt. As Albus stepped closer, silver glittered from the fire light and Rose caught sight of her knife, which was attached to a long stick tucked under Albus's elbow. Something green was used as rope to secure the knife and there was something fuzzy attached to one end.

"What the hell is that?" Rose asked, pointing to the odd contraption.

Albus set the fish down by the fire. "This?" he asked, holding out the knife-stick object. "It's a fishing pole, of course."

Rose snorted and tried to imagine how he could have possible caught any fish with that thing. Well, she mused, it certainly explained the mutilated fish.

"Al, that's _not_ a fishing pole. Honestly, have you ever seen one before?"

"Do I look like a Muggle to you, Rose?" Albus's ears were slightly red. "Don't judge me okay, I got us dinner. What have you two been doing, anyway?" He raised a suspicious brow.

"Nothing," both Rose and Scorpius answered at once. It was true, however skeptical it appeared to sound. Albus had been gone about a half hour while Scorpius took the time to start a fire; Rose busy checking out the cave to make sure it was uninhabited.

The three had managed to find this temporary shelter on pure luck. The darkness had almost obscured the deep hole that was lodged into the base of the mountains, which seemed to stretch on for miles and miles under tropical fauna. Inside was mostly made of dirt and stone, covered in moss and small green plants. When Rose took into account the different tips and signs to looking for shelter in the wilderness she had to admit this was pretty nice; a roof over their heads, a fire for warmth, a nearby river with fresh fish…

"And here's this," Albus added, handing Rose their only canteen. She placed it close to the fire, allowing it to boil so they could drink it later. Albus then proceeded to skewer the fish onto the stick, tossing the silver knife aside.

A slight shiver rolled down Rose's back. Though it had stopped raining hours ago, the humidity had died and the cool night air was rippling against her wet clothes. It amazed her how a place could be so hot during the day and so chilly at night. She noticed Scorpius's clothes were also quite wet, much thicker than the ones she was wearing. He would be the first to get sick, no doubt. He glanced up, as though sensing her gaze. His eyes sparkled against the flames.

"You're going to have to take your clothes off."

The words came out before she could rethink them properly and she regretted them at once. Albus reacted immediately and sliced his hand against the sharp wood. Scorpius's initial shock didn't last as pure amusement glittered in his eyes.

"I never remember you being so forward before, Rose. Though might I add your timing is a little inconvenient, don't you think?"

"I didn't mean it in _that_ way, you git," she answered, glaring at him hatefully. She felt herself flush, blaming it on the fire. "I mean we all have to before we get sick. Our clothes are soaked and need to dry before morning."

Albus's eyes had grown to enormous proportions as he rotated the fish over the flames, glancing back and forth between his two friends as though watching a Quidditch match.

"Ladies first," Scorpius quipped, gesturing towards Rose with an arrogant smile that she hated.

He had, of course, seen her with very little clothing before. And had she not been wearing a bathing suit, she wouldn't dare suggest it but the idea of dying from either hydration or hyperthermia didn't sound very appealing. So with one last look of loathing, she stripped out of her clothes and laid them next to the fire, wearing nothing but a plain, canary yellow two piece; boots and socks left to dry.

As odd as the idea sounded, Rose was never that subconscious about her body. Perhaps it was because she had grown up around boys and didn't have much time for caring about how she looked. Not that she ran naked through her house by any means, but a bathing suit was nothing to fuss over. Besides, Auror training had toned her body nicely and though she wasn't as curvy as Dom or as skinny as Lily, she wasn't ashamed of herself.

Scorpius had already shrugged off his shirt while Albus stripped down defectively. His cameo shorts sounded heavy when thrown against the stony ground. Both boys remained in nothing but a pair of loose shorts; Scorpius, solid back and Albus, striped red and blue. Rose had to stifle down a chuckle because believe it or not, this wasn't the most awkward position the three had ever landed themselves in.

_"Get your hand off my arse, you slimy git!"_

_Rose tried to maneuver herself but it was to no prevail. She was crammed, quit uncomfortably, into Scorpius with her hands pressed against his chest. She could feel his breath on her face and wanted desperately to scream and run away. But she couldn't, because no one would hear her, and also because she was half sitting on Albus, who was crouched on the ground on all fours and most definitely more uncomfortable than her._

_The three, smashed and intertwined together, had managed to find themselves locked inside a cabinet in the Room of Requirement. Albus, who had heard about this room had decided to explore it with Scorpius; Rose tagging along simply to stop them. When she had finally cornered them inside the vast room, a duel had naturally occurred between herself and Scorpius. Somehow – she couldn't remember the exact, play-by-play because it had happened so fast – they had ended up all stuck in this cabinet. _

_"Maybe if it wasn't so big then I could," Scorpius replied back, attempting to readjust his hands. _

_Rose scoffed at him, looking appalled. "You are the most offensive and vile person I know."_

_"Both of you just shut the hell up!"_

_Scorpius tried to look down. "Sorry, Al. How's it going down there? Rose's arse isn't breaking your back, is it?"_

_It was the force of Rose's entire body that freed them from the cabinet, for she knocked into Scorpius with so much power and hatred that the door flung itself open; or perhaps it was getting tired of being occupied by three hostile sixteen year olds. _

_'Well', Rose thought, 'that's what you get for locking us in there in the first place. Stupid, magical cabinet.'_

_

* * *

_

"You know, I have to hand it to you Al," began Rose, swallowing her last bit of dinner, "this fish was pretty good. I'm impressed."

Albus licked his fingers before pointing at her from across the fire. "You should be. And you should be sorry for doubting me."

"I think what Rose means is that she's starving so badly that anything tastes good," said Scorpius, throwing him an arrogant grin.

"Maybe," Albus mused, leaning back against the stone walls. Scorpius had his legs pulled up; his arms resting on his knees. They were illuminated by the golden glow of the fire and the soft crackling was the only whisper against the walls. Rose couldn't help but think Uncle Harry would feel proud of them.

Now _this_ was camping.

Scorpius tossed the last bit of his fish into the fire. He always tore away the edges of his food, Rose remembered. His fingers caught her eye and she noticed something peculiar that she couldn't believe didn't register before.

He seemed to feel her stare when he suddenly reached over to his clothes.

"Not dry yet," he said sulkily.

"Why aren't you wearing your ring?"

Rose's words sliced through the cave like a knife. She hadn't meant to ask out loud but her father's bluntness was a trait she had inherited. It would be the death of her, no doubt. Her face flushed slightly and Albus glanced up curiously.

"It's back at the camp," he said casually, rising and moving toward the mouth of the cave.

"But why?" Rose pressed; also rising and watching him descend into darkness. Standing made the chilly air dance across her bare stomach. It was much cooler away from the fire, she noticed.

Scorpius was back, holding the cooling canteen. He took a drink before handing it to her. "So I wouldn't lose it out here."

"How could you lose a ring? It's on your finger," Rose pointed out, handing Albus the canteen after a large gulp. She almost hit him in the head, for her eyes never left Scorpius's face. This question was serious, and she told herself that it was okay to stare.

"You never know," he said, shrugging. "I tend to lose a lot of things these days."

"Funny, I don't remember you being so careless."

He looked amused as he crossed his arms over his chest. Rose was pleased, no longer enticed to stare at his perfectly molded abs. It was a blessing and a curse his eyes were so beautiful for the temptation to stare at his body was a distant pleasure. The only imperfection on his face was the slight bump on his nose that one could only really notice when looking at his side profile. An incident from fourth year, Rose remembered; broken nose after getting into a fight with Tiberius McLaggen.

He never told her the exact details and she didn't press it. Boys were stupid, she had concluded.

"I'm going to refill the canteen," said Albus, stretching and bouncing up. He was out of the cave before Rose could register his leaving.

"Then what exactly, do you remember about me, Rose?" Scorpius asked, leaning against the side of the cave with a foot crossed lazily over the other. His black shorts rested low on his hips and hung to his knees. He looked so very Muggle that it was almost startling. Not his usual proper and perfectly matching wardrobe he so normally sprouted.

"I remember a lot of things about you," she said quietly, unsure why she was whispering. Her words sounded louder than they normally would at that pitch, echoing against the walls.

There was a lazy contempt in his eyes. "Like?" He seemed genuinely curious to hear what she would say.

_Everything_, she thought. "You leaving," she said instead. "I remember that most."

There was a flash of something in his eyes – a flicker from the fire or trick of the light, perhaps – but it was gone as soon as it came. "You don't understand, Rose, I tr—"

"I understand fine," she said, cutting him off, not wanting to hear any more of it. "You married Lily. My cousin. Your best friend's sister. Because…because I don't know, you could."

He always, _always_ did things simply because he could. It was a trait Rose both hated and admired about him.

"Are you angry with me?"

His question was so honest, so perfectly curious, that Rose could only gape at him. Shock was soon replaced by rage and she threw her hands wildly into the air.

"Am I _angry_ with you?" she asked, completely furious. "Is that a serious question, Scorpius? I don't think angry even covers how I feel about you!"

"Then how do you feel about me, Rose?"

She wanted to punch him; to literally punch him square in the face like Tiberius had done those many years ago. Scorpius Malfoy was full of such trickery and was so sneaky that it was no surprise at all the Sorting Hat had barely touched his head before it had shouted Slytherin. He had a way of getting under Rose's skin and prying so delicately to get the answers he wanted. Half the time he snuck very serious questions into casual conversation, claiming it was the best way to get an honest response.

"We are not having this conversation," Rose said firmly, clenching her fists. She was very aware how silly they both probably looked; her in her bathing suit and hiking boots with Scorpius in his shorts, leaning against the cave they were using as shelter. The fire stood between them like a boundary line, the flames dancing wildly and crackling.

"Why do always divert the conversation when you don't want to answer a question?"

"Why do you always ask questions no one wants to answer?"

Scorpius smiled. It wasn't a pleasant one. "Curiosity."

Rose crossed her arms and glared into the fire, hating how he always controlled the direction of the conversation. She had been doing so well remaining cold to him ever since his return from Paris but now they were stuck together and everything beginning to feel so normal that she…

She was beginning to forget he was married.

"I see no point in answering questions that merit no value."

"And why would it contain no value?" he asked.

She glanced up, meeting his intense gaze. "Because it doesn't change anything."

* * *

By the time Rose, Scorpius, and Albus had managed to make an area worthy of sleeping, it had to be nearly three in the morning. The boys had gathered a fair amount of large leafs from nearby trees that they used as bedding against the hard stone floor. Albus had surrounded the fire with more stones so the fire wouldn't spread and Rose finished arranging the leaves, rising and peering down at her craftsmanship with admiration.

Most of their clothes had managed to dry, though both Albus and Scorpius's shorts were still a bit damp and they insisted on sleeping in their shorts and shirt. Rose was able to dress fully and was quite pleased she wouldn't be lying practically naked next to her cousin and ex boyfriend.

Albus was the first to drop into their bedding and Rose followed suit immediately, lying against the wall so she didn't have to sleep next to Scorpius. The blonde sighed and dropped next to Albus with a grin.

"I know this has probably been a fantasy of yours but I'm going to have to ask you not to cuddle with me, Al."

"What if I get cold?"

"I'll throw your stupid arse in the fire. Go to sleep!" barked Rose, annoyed and beginning to feel the toll of the night wearing on her. They'd be lucky to wake before noon the next day.

Albus sighed after both boys ceased their laughter. "This is fun."

"What part of this is fun, Al?" Rose asked. She rolled over on her side, curling her legs up and facing the stone wall.

"It reminds me of the time we slept in the Shrieking Shack," he said, clearly grinning by the tone of his voice. He sat up suddenly. "Do you guys remember that?"

"Yeah," said Scorpius, opening laughing. It was pleasant, Rose thought before she could help herself. She hadn't heard him give an honest laugh without malice or arrogance in a long time. "When was it again…?"

"Fifth year," supplied Rose, eyes shut but smiling none the less. "Fifth year during the Christmas holidays. About froze my bloody arse off in there."

"Yeah but at least we got ten galleons out of it," said Albus. "James didn't think we'd actually do it."

"He should have known better," said Scorpius, lacing his fingers and placing his arms behind his head, staring up at the ceiling.

"Why did you come, Rose?" Albus asked, glancing at her. But she was already half asleep, not really listening anyway. "James only bet the two of us and I never understood why you came with us."

"Someone had to look after you two," she answered sleepily. "You know…monsters and werewolves and stuff out there."

"We could have handled ourselves," one of them said.

"No," Rose replied. "Not without me. You always needed me."

Someone responded but Rose was already too out to care or notice. Sleep had overtaken her and her breathing evened out to the soft lulling of the fire.

It was some time later that a chill swept over her and she awoke slightly. She was at the point between being asleep and awake and felt extremely bare and cold without Albus's back pressing into hers. His body heat had been enough to compensate for a blanket but it was no longer there.

Rose was too awake to fall right back asleep and too tired to yell for him to come back. She only briefly wondered where he had gone when something fell against her once again; something very warm and very hard.

She sighed. "I wondered where you had gone."

There was a pause, and then,

"I knew Al couldn't resist cuddling with me."

Rose's eyes snapped open in alarm and she turned abruptly to face Scorpius, whose nose was only inches away from hers. Her heart hammered in her chest at his closeness and for a horrifying moment, she wasn't sure what she should do.

The sense of waking too quickly rushed over her and left a dull ache in her head. She settled on a groan and asking, "What are you doing?"

"Did you know Al sleeps diagonally?"

Rose blinked. "What?"

"I can't believe I never noticed before," said Scorpius, looking legitimately upset. "For the past hour he's been practically on top of me. I drew the line once his face landed in my neck."

She couldn't help it. Rose chuckled and sat up slightly. Albus was strong halfway off the bedding and onto the cold floor, perfectly diagonal and quite a bit far from the two of them.

"I suppose that's a little awkward."

He smiled. "A bit."

_Is it as awkward as sleeping next to your ex girlfriend?_ She wondered in her head. She shivered and moved her arms under her head.

"Cold?"

"The leaves aren't very warm," she said quite obviously.

"You could move closer to the fire," he suggested.

Rose shook her head. "No. I don't want to make another bed or sleep on pure rock."

She glanced back to his eyes and noticed they were like two stars in the dark sky. The fire was closer to the mouth of the cave and hardly any light touched upon their faces; only his eyes, always bright and alive, stood out against the night.

"Your eyes," Rose said suddenly.

He blinked. "Sorry?"

"Your eyes," she said again. "That's something I always remember. I don't know anyone else who has eyes like yours. They're like silver and remind me of a storm whenever you're angry. They darken, like the sky."

She could tell he was surprised by her honestly and to be frank, so was she. Maybe she was just sleepy, or maybe she was tired of pretending something was nothing when it wasn't.

"That's a very detailed analysis," he said, his mouth pulling up slightly in one corner. They were both on their sides facing one another, their eyes locked on one another.

"Some people would say this is scandalous," Rose said drowsily, another random thought leaving her mouth.

She could tell Scorpius was wide awake, grinning in amusement at her dazed state of semi-consciousness. "What is?"

"This," she said, pointing wildly between the two of them. "You and me…sleeping. Like this."

"Like what?"

"Like…together. Like we're together…when we're not." Her voice dropped and though she was looking him directly in the eye, her gaze was miles away. "We're not."

His expression didn't falter. "Can you live with yourself after you wake up?"

"I dunno," she said, closing her eyes with a yawn. The sound of the fire was just so soothing to her ears. "Can you?"

* * *

A/N: Hope you liked it. Thanks for reading! =) Be sure to let me know what you think..reviews are most helpful.


	8. I'm in Love and Always Will Be

**A/N: Thank you for your patience, I apologize for the wait. The good news is this story should be finished in the next few chapters! Keep in mind, this is a short story/novella, so it was never intended to be that long. Hope you enjoy the chapter! =)**

* * *

"When the light starts to burn

And the pain returns

I just wish that I could heal the hurt you feel tonight

There's life in your veins

These needles are chains." - _Soft Skeletons_, Anberlin

**Chapter 8 - I'm in Love and Always Will Be**

"You could act even the slightest bit pleased to see me."

Dom didn't bother to turn around as she followed several feet behind Mr. Malfoy and Lily who was trailing quickly at his heels, looking like a tiny bird trying to take flight. There was still no sign of Rose or her group, and Mr. Malfoy had split everyone up to go search for them, and somehow Dom was stuck with these people, all of which were annoying her.

"My mum told me I should work on being more honest," she said. "And admitting such a thing would only negate my progress."

Lysander had caught up and smirked down at her. The sky gave no justice to the shade of his eyes, which were stained like dark blue glass.

"You should apologize for last night, you know," he said, looking slightly put out. "That bottle you threw at me cut me in the chest."

"I am sorry," Dom said honestly. "I meant to hit your face."

Lysander brought his hand to his heart dramatically. "You can't possibly mean that. And aren't you curious why I'm even here?"

"Because you're babysitting children now and decided to take on Lucy?"

"Guess again." His smirk was ridiculously annoying, because nothing she ever said seemed to get to him.

"I already know," Dom growled, growing more and more impatient. "You and your loser brother are looking for some stupid dragons. I could care less and you're getting on my nerves. Go annoy someone else."

Lysander opened his mouth to respond when a shriek rang over the forest. Dom glanced up and pushed past several leafy trees in her way and saw Lily sprinting through a clearing toward her father. Dom smiled, relieved as others came into view. They looked dirty and slightly banged up, but no one appeared to be seriously hurt.

Her smile was short lived, as she noticed three individuals were missing from the group.

"Oh shit."

* * *

_Two days later_

* * *

Humming under her breath, Rose bent down to retrieve berries from a bush she had found, gathering them in her pockets. The boys were still asleep, so she had decided to get a start on breakfast. She normally didn't awaken this early but her back was so sore she couldn't sleep another moment. She decided to take advantage of rising early by washing up in the creek nearby the newest shelter they had found, a cave similar to the one they had slept in days ago but much smaller.

So far she had managed to gather nuts, berries, and an exotic bird that looked like a peacock, with blue and green feathers that glimmered in the sun. She wasn't proud of setting up the trap, of killing such a beautiful creature but they needed the meat too much. Besides, Rose knew if this was part of her training she would have killed the bird without thinking twice.

So she tried to pretend she was in training.

_CRACK!_

Pausing, Rose straightened up and ceased her humming. She hadn't really realized it before but the forest had quieted. No longer could she hear the soft buzzing of bees or chirping of birds. It was far too quiet now.

She turned slowly, searching the forest until a sudden lump formed in her throat. She saw a pair of brilliant tawny eyes staring at her from above in a nearby tree. The cat was huge, with brownish-yellow fur and black rosette markings, dark spots within them. It was crouched low despite being on such a thin branch, and held a hungry look in its eyes.

Rose swallowed hard, recognizing this cat to be a jaguar, one of the most powerful felines in the world with the ability to swim, climb trees, and bite with enough force to pierce through a turtle shell.

She suddenly had a desire to laugh at the irony of her life. Here she was, hunting her own food, when she was the one being hunted. One minute she was watching Scorpius get married, the next she was about to be mauled to death by a wild animal. She wanted to curse herself for not paying more attention. She had been so concerned with watching out for dragons – animals that made no bother covering up their presence and could be heard miles away – that she didn't think about other animals on the island; particularly ones that hunted their prey in silence.

The jaguar shifted slightly, digging its thick claws into the bark, its eyes never leaving Rose's. If she only had a wand…this wouldn't be a problem. But without one, and only a small silver knife, she stood no chance. The jaguar pulled back, preparing to spring and Rose tensed, dropping the bird she had killed earlier to the forest floor, ready to throw her arms in front of her face instinctively.

With a growl the jaguar pounced forward, leaping an incredible fifteen or so feet through the air, soaring toward Rose with its claws out –

There was a whooshing sound just past her left ear and she closed her eyes, screaming as a screech pierced the forest and a loud thump followed. Something had grazed her ear, leaving blood dripping down her cheek, but it wasn't painful enough to be a blow from a jaguar.

Rose opened her eyes slowly, realizing she hadn't been mauled over and saw the jaguar lying just feet before her. There was something sticking out of its chest, and it most certainly appeared to be dead.

"Rose, are you alright?"

Turning, she saw her unlikely savior standing thirty or so feet away. It wasn't so much who it was, but rather how he looked, that made her stare. Scorpius was wearing the same matching shirt and shorts, but was completely covered in mud. His arms, legs, his entire body and even his face were masked over. The only thing that fit the image of what Rose knew to be Scorpius Malfoy was his eyes, just as brilliant as always and glittering like the stars.

Rose turned back to the cat, and noticed the pool of blood surrounding its chest. The thing sticking out of it was long and wooden. It took her only a second to recognize it as a human made spear.

She turned back to Scorpius, who had silently made his way to her, and gaped at him. She opened her mouth, and then closed it, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

"I would think," Scorpius started, "that for someone training to be an Auror, you would know it wasn't safe to hunt early in the morning unless you become invisible."

She didn't seem to hear him. She looked back and forth between him and the spear sticking out of the jaguar.

"Did you…did you _throw_ that?" she asked in awe.

Scorpius nodded. "A nice shot, if I must say."

Rose bent to examine where the spear pieced through the cat. She noted, with a sort of detached horror that Scorpius had managed to pierce it straight through the heart. A clean kill, her instructors would have said.

"No," she argued. "That's an _impossible_ shot from that distance."

He glanced away and she narrowed her eyes at him, feeling something twisting in her stomach. It felt oddly like betrayal, but that wouldn't make any sense.

"You covered yourself with mud, like I should have done," she went on, "because you wanted to not only blend in, but to flesh out your scent."It wasn't a question.

Scorpius said nothing.

For some reason, Rose was feeling slightly more betrayed now than she had when she found out he was marrying her cousin. And again, this betrayal made no sense.

"How would you possibly know to do that?"

He sighed. "Rose, I think we need to have a talk."

* * *

"What are we going to do? It's been days! What if they're hurt?"

Dom had her head in her hands as she attempted to tune out Lily's voice, sending Vinny a 'please shoot me' kind of look. Lily's voice was just so ridiculously sweet and high pitched, not to mention laced with panic and worry. Of course, Dom was worried too, but she knew Rose could handle herself. And she had Albus and Scorpius, who were anything but useless.

It didn't help however, that Mr. Malfoy, Damon, and Teddy still hadn't come back from their search, when they had left yesterday morning.

But, Dom thought suddenly, Lily's worry was probably escalated by the fact that Scorpius was out there with his ex girlfriend.

"We've already gone over this Lily," said Uncle Harry in a patient voice. "When we got split up, they were on the other side of the river. It might be miles and miles before they can find a way across."

"But Mr. Malfoy hasn't come back yet."

"Which is why we're going out to look for them," Lorcan reassured her. He looked so much like Lysander that it was frightening, only much kinder and softer. "We'll find everyone, Lily. It'll be okay."

There was an odd expression on his face, one Dom couldn't quite identify. Lorcan and Lily had grown up as close friends, both being in Hufflepuff and only a year apart, but this look just didn't make sense.

Lily nodded, her pale hands fidgeting on her lap. Lucy placed an arm around her shoulders, though her sympathy was probably just an act. Dom did however found herself pitying Lily, reluctantly. The Potter's were all tough; they were used to fighting and dueling, blood and guts, that sort of thing. But not Lily.

Lily Potter was too soft for that sort of thing. She was dreadful in dueling and Defense Against the Dark Arts in school, far better at Herbology and Potions. There wasn't a single ounce of violence in her, and Dom wondered if there was even any amount of courage. Right now she looked like a scared little kitten.

"Where did you spot the dragons, again?" Lysander asked suddenly, glancing up from a map he had been examining. "Lorcan and I need to check it out."

Uncle Harry sighed. "I couldn't get back to that spot if I tried. Five, maybe ten miles east? I dunno."

"We can't let you go out there alone," said Aunt Ginny. There was a cut on her wrist that she had just mended with her wand. She, Uncle Harry and James had gone out earlier in the day to look for Rose and the boys, but came back quickly after encountering an angry flock of wild birds.

Lysander was suddenly all business. "If there's illegal dragon mating go—"

"Then we'll all go."

Everyone glanced toward Lily in surprise.

"If Scorpius, Albus and Rose are out there with dragons and who knows what other creatures, we should all be going. Especially since Mr. Malfoy, Teddy, and Damon aren't back yet," she said. Her voice seemed to quiver as everyone's eyes met hers. Attention was never something she handled well, even for a Potter. "We can't just leave everyone out there," she added. "I don't think I can stand waiting here another moment."

"Good, I want another go at those dragons," said James, jumping at once. "See how tough those bitches are when I have my wand."

"James!"

"All of us can't go," cut in Victoire. "Some should stay here, in case anyone gets back. Besides, Lucy is still underage."

"I'm nineteen!" she protested.

"Doesn't matter." Victoire waved her off, and Dom felt a sudden rush of affection for her sister.

"Victoire's right," Uncle Harry cut in before Lucy could respond. "We'll alternate search parties. And I'll send a message to the Ministry for reinforcements."

"But no one can apparate onto this island," said Mrs. Malfoy, looking out of place dressed in her formal suit. She didn't seem at all worried that her husband and son were out in the jungle, one completely wand-less."It would take days, possibly weeks, for them to break whatever protection is on this island."

"You're right," agreed Aunt Ginny. "But they can come the same way we did. It may be a few days but the sooner the better."

"Give them a little credit," scoffed James. "You know they're trained for this."

* * *

Rose was sitting on a cold piece of rock in the cave, staring stonily at Scorpius and Albus. She felt as dull and hard and cold as the rock itself.

"Rose, say something."

Her mother always told her she had a fiery tongue, because she typically spoke without warning, often with spite and ferocity, and always had something to say. Now however, Rose was completely speechless. She honestly wasn't sure how she should be reacting. Betrayal, definitely though, was the feeling she was having.

Albus, looking anxiously between the pair, looked beyond guilty. But Rose was just as angry at him as she was at Scorpius. She turned her icy stare on her cousin.

"Get out, Albus."

"But –"

"I SAID GET OUT!"

Without another word, Albus stood and left the cave, hanging his shoulders as he went. Rose looked away from him, determined not to feel guilty herself, the way she always did with both Albus and Lily. Perhaps it was a Potter thing, this instinct to protect them and their feelings. But she never felt that way with James, oddly.

She turned back to Scorpius, her eyes narrowing to slits.

"Rose, listen –"

"No," she cut him off, "_you_ listen." She was standing now, fists clenched at her side. "How…how could you not tell me, Scorpius? All this time I thought you were following your father's footsteps. Not training to be an Auror, like me! With Albus!"

Blind rage was beginning to take over. She was starting to see red, which was never a good sign.

"I _am_ following his footsteps," he told her. "He's right up there with your father, under your uncle. But he's part of the Elite Aurors, the ones who go undercover. Hardly anyone knows he's even an Auror to begin with, which is the whole point. I'm not _allowed_ to go around telling everyone what he does."

"What about the Malfoy family business?" Rose demanded. "Or is that a load of rubbish, your family being involved with trading?"

"My mum runs it with my grandfather," said Scorpius. "She's…well, you know her. She handles business just fine."

"Yes," Rose agreed bitterly, "it must run in the family."

"Damn you, Rose!" Scorpius exploded suddenly, losing his cool façade entirely. She flinched back, but held her ground. "Why do you even care what I do with my life?"

"Because you lied to me!"

"My father forced me to train in France, because of you! The only reason I had to leave was because of you!"

Rose blinked, feeling herself deflate slightly.

"What?" she whispered.

Scorpius was shaking with fury, as though this anger could no longer be suppressed. He took several deep breaths, calming himself, and brought his voice low and steely,

"My father didn't think I'd be able to focus and concentrate the way I needed to if we were both training together here in London," he said. "He told me I had to train in Paris."

"And Albus?"

"He was going to train with you," said Scorpius softly. "To surprise you and tell you he had decided to become an Auror too. But once he found out I had to go to Paris, and you weren't going, he came with me. He didn't tell you because he thought you'd be angry."

Rose's mouth felt very, very dry. This explained why she hadn't seen much of her cousin during her year of training. And why he seemed so drained and tired.

"So…all this about expanding your father's company, about having no choice in your career, was all a lie?"

"Not entirely," said Scorpius. His eyes had softened slightly, no longer icy cold. "I've always known I'd follow my father's steps, but not by expanding the Malfoy company. The choice I didn't have wasn't so much as my career, but where I trained for it."

"But you asked me to come with you to Paris," Rose pointed out, "which sort of defeats your father's purpose of sending you away."

"Maybe it was because I wanted to be with you so badly it didn't matter."

He might of well as punched her in the stomach, for Rose was finding it difficult to breath, and equally as painful. She looked away from him, willing herself not to break down. Her fists clenched at her sides, and then she was seeing red again.

"Why did you have to marry her, Scorpius?" she shouted. "Why did you have to ruin everything! Why couldn't you have just waited for me!"

"I asked you to marry me three times!" His voice was loud, so harsh that Rose wondered idly if Albus, wherever he was out in the jungle, could hear him. For a brief moment, she worried over him, thinking of jaguars and dragons, but – she remembered with bland annoyance and disgust – he was trained as an Auror.

"I never said no!"

"You said _not now_, which is the same thing!"

"No it isn't! Damn you, Scorpius, I wanted to marry you! _I_ should have been the one marrying you, not Lily, not some other girl, but me! Is that what you wanted to hear? You win!"

She shoved him, hard in the chest, and as if instinct had taken over, ran toward the mouth of the cave. It was now pouring outside, but she didn't care. The water felt good, cold against the heat of the day, and blurred her eye sight.

Unwanted tears of anger filled her eyes. At least, she thought, he wouldn't be able to tell she was crying.

A strong hold gripped her wrist and Scorpius turned her around to face him. The rain was rinsing off the mud that coated him, leaving dark lines running down his body. He looked sun kissed, and his eyes were smothering.

"You always do this," he said coldly.

She swallowed hard. "Always do what?"

"Run. For a Gryffindor and an Auror, you run away a lot."

They were inches apart, heat and sweat radiating off their wet bodies. Scorpius was glaring down at Rose icily, but she held his gaze levelly, fire whirling in her glassy eyes. They were fire and ice, in every way possible.

"That's not true," she said through gritted teeth.

"Every time you said no to me," Scorpius hissed, "you ran. Except the last time, I walked away from you. Why is it that every time I asked you to marry me, you ran, before I had a chance to change your mind?"

"Because just hearing your voice would have changed my mind!" Rose exploded, tears flowing freely with the rain. "Just seeing you, being with you. I wanted to marry you Scorpius, more than anything, but I just _couldn't_."

"Why?" he demanded. "Why were you so afraid of marrying me?"

"Because I didn't think I could stand it if you ever left me!"

She looked down at the ground, and tasted salt in her mouth. She hated herself for giving in to him. He was the only person she knew that could bring the weakness out of her. She sighed bitterly. "Scorpius, I grew up with you, and watched the affect you had on other girls. You could have had any of them you wanted. You probably still could. So why should I believe you'd have stayed with me?"

He lifted her chin gently to look at him, and what she saw on his face broke her to pieces.

"You're probably right," he said roughly, "but I keep telling you that I chose you. You're all I ever wanted Rose."

"Then wh-"

Before she could finish her sentence, she felt rather than saw Scorpius take control over her lips; his hands knotting into her hair behind her neck and pulling her forward.

There was a split second when she felt frozen, taken by surprise but somehow she had reacted accordingly and kissed him back, her lips moving fiercely against his. It was demanding to the point that it was painful, as though the world's survival relied on this one final kiss. In all the years Rose had kissed him, never…_never_ had he kissed her like this.

To her surprise, she was kissing him back as fiercely as he was kissing her. She clung to him tightly, never wanting to let go, trying to tell him with her lips against his the things she had wanted to say,

_I love you. I always have and I always will. Don't be with Lily. Be with me. Pick me, marry me. Love me._

Scorpius's hands slid down to her waist and he yanked her against him, their wet bodies pressing hotly together. The rain was pounding in her ears, and a small voice was telling her to stop, that this was crazy, but she ignored it. She didn't want to think about what happened next, about what she was supposed to say after this.

Every action had to be taken with responsibility, and mistakes had consequences. But right now, Rose thought, she didn't have to deal with them. Just this moment, they could be free of them. Free of their own blind pride, of their responsibilities, of Lily, of their past. Of everything.

Her hands had woven into his wet, wavy hair unknowingly. As he slowly pulled away, her arms dropped limply to her side and he stepped back. A wave of ripped agony passed over Rose and she thought for a moment she may fall; that her heart had been torn from her chest and was the source behind her struggle to remain on two legs.

She stared at Scorpius through blurry eyes with an expression she was sure never crossed her face before. The certainty and utter intensity the kiss brought surged a thousand emotions through her as she searched his face to see if he felt anything like she did. She wasn't sure she could go on if he felt nothing…if there wasn't something…_anything_, there.

The dazed look on his face transformed and she saw his eyes as though inside a mirror, the same way she looked at him when he pledged his life to Lily, the way she looked at him when she walked down the aisle.

The way she had looked, when she realized she had lost everything.

There were noises, shouts even, coming from somewhere nearby but Rose couldn't bear to take her gaze away from Scorpius. But suddenly, maybe even several minutes later, someone was shaking her so fiercely that the last thing she saw was Scorpius looking away, the muscles in his jaw working furiously.

"Rose, thank Merlin you're alright!"

It was Teddy. Followed closely by Mr. Malfoy, and Damon.

For someone being so lost, Rose concluded she had never wanted to be found less in her life.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for reading. Did anyone expect Scorpius and Albus were also Aurors? :P**


	9. Five Questions

**A/N: I'm sorry for the wait. I thought I had updated this..*ducks* To make it up I will update again within a week. Or I will try..the next chapter is nearly complete. =) This is the first chapter not titled after White Flag, the song. You'll see why. Enjoy!**

* * *

No more paving the present with pain from my past  
And I will let you go." - _I Will Let You Go_, Daniel Ahearn

**Chapter 9 - Five Questions**

The smell of Grandma Weasley's homemade mince pies and fruit tarts had never smelt better. The crisp air, the cool breeze, the trees covered in blossoms—it was familiar and wonderful. Rose was glad to be home; away from the tropical paradise that served more appropriately as a vacation from hell.

The trip back home had been a blur. Rose and her family had managed to leave Korra Island the next morning after she had been discovered, and Ministry Officials were supposed to be arriving to look in to the dragon mating. There had been no problems at the Muggle airport this time around—no issues with luggage, no terrorist accusations, and no irritating Steve Small in the seat next to Rose on the plane. In fact, she had the entire row to herself. Which was probably a good thing, because she hardly spoke to anyone after Teddy had found her.

Dom and Vinny had tried to get her to talk about what happened several times, but after a few noncommittal grunts and gestures on her part they gave up. Naturally she had had to recount the story to Uncle Harry and Mr. Malfoy, leaving out the personal and unnecessary bits about Scorpius of course, but she had done so in the most professional manner possible. They both seemed pleased with how she was able to adapt to the environment, and Mr. Malfoy had looked quite proudly at Scorpius when she told the part about the jaguar.

The worst part about the reunion with her family was when Lily spotted Scorpius for the first time. She had that frantic and frightened look about her, and rushed into his arms like she had been reacquainted with her long lost love. Which might be more or less true, but it still stung. Rose didn't watch Scorpius's reaction, that would have been too much, and she had hastily made her way back to her hut before anyone called her back.

But now she was back in England, at the Burrow specifically, getting ready for dinner. They had gotten home a few days ago, and Grandma Weasley invited everyone over for a celebration dinner—or more appropriately, a celebration that no one had been killed during this excursion from hell.

When the voices in the kitchen carried up to where Rose was getting ready, she decided she could no longer stay cooped up in this room. It had once belonged to Aunt Ginny, which should be obvious based on the Quidditch décor that still hung on the walls. Aunt Ginny could have gone professional, joining the women's league, but had declined in spite of taking care of James and Albus. She now worked as a Healer, and was considered to be one of the top at St. Mungo's. James seemed to be taking the Quidditch road anyhow, as he had recently received a letter about joining the England National team.

With a final glance in the mirror, Rose left Aunt Ginny's room and headed down the crooked stairs toward the kitchen.

Victoire and Dom were helping Grandma Weasley set the table out in the garden, while Teddy was recounting some story with a bit of enthusiasm to James and Albus in the adjoining sitting room. Rose saw her mother stacking a few plates near the sink kitchen sink. Hugo was there, scowling like he always did at the prospect of work, and carried the polished dishes out to the garden. He threw Rose a cheeky grin as he passed.

"There you are," said Hermione upon hearing the door swing open. She wiped her hands on a dishcloth and moved toward Rose, looking her over. "What's wrong? Do you still feel sick?"

A necessary lie, Rose had decided, was to tell everyone she caught some sort of bug at Korra Island. This excused her from talking or mingling too long, and allowed her to curl up in bed all day and drown herself in misery. So far she had been strong since Lily and Scorpius's wedding but the kiss had put her over the edge. It was the first time in a long time she had faced something she just couldn't handle. But she couldn't tell her family that. She couldn't tell them the reason she could barely breathe or wanted to sleep all day was because she was breaking inside. She had to lie and pretend she was sick.

But it had been three or four days since her sickness, so now she either had to 'recover' or take a trip to St. Mungo's for further examination. Neither sounded very appealing. Aunt Ginny was the only one in the family who knew what was going on. Being a healer, she knew an illness from a fake one. But she didn't say anything and for that Rose was thankful. She even told Rose's parents it was probably the same bug that Elena had caught.

Aunt Ginny was the best.

"Rose?" Hermione pressed, now looking even more concerned. This snapped Rose back to reality.

"Still not completely back to normal, but getting there," she replied, giving a wary smile. At least that wasn't entirely a lie. Hermione patted Rose's shoulder and turned back to the kitchen. "Where's dad?"

"I suppose he's still at work." Hermione's voice was too tight to be casual.

"Mum, why did you marry dad?" Rose was glad the kitchen was now empty and Teddy was talking too loud for the boys to overhear, because the question had come unwanted out of her mouth. It had been something she had always wanted to ask and now seemed the right time.

Hermione froze momentarily before going to the stove and moving her wand over it, stirring the contents inside. It smelled rich and sweet, like onion soup.

"Because we love each other," she said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "What a silly question, Rose."

"But is that enough? Is love always enough?"

Hermione considered this a moment and turned back around. "No," she said softly. "Not always."

"Then why did you do it, then?" Rose wasn't stupid. She knew there was some ulterior motive to her parents' marriage. They just weren't compatible enough to marry just for love or because they were crazy about each other or some other cheesy reason.

Hermione sighed. "Because of you, Rose. We got married because we were going to have you." She smiled and her eyes glistened like she was looking at something Rose couldn't see. "And I do not regret it. We weren't ready, not even close, but it was a decision we both put a lot of thought into. We wanted to bring you into the world with a loving family. You were my greatest accomplishment and surprise." She put arm around Rose and pulled her close.

"Do you think you would have married someone else if I wasn't…you know, _there_?" Rose swallowed thickly and rested her head against her mother's shoulder.

"I don't know," said Hermione softly, stroking Rose's hair gently. "Sometimes I think so, but other times I'm not so sure. But we do love each other in all the ways that count. Maybe we weren't soul mates or perfect for each other, but who wants that kind of perfection anyway?"

Rose smiled at that, because her mother was every bit of a perfectionist.

"So you don't believe in soul mates and all that?"

"Of course I do," said Hermione earnestly. "But I don't believe we always find them."

"Or get them," Rose added.

Hermione pulled back and looked at Rose thoroughly, that way all mother's look when they seem to read straight through their child. It was unfair really, how someone could search your soul like that.

"You're still hurting," Hermione commented. It wasn't a question.

"Does it go away?" Rose's words choked in her throat and she mentally screamed at herself. She was about to _see_ Lily and Scorpius—she couldn't afford to go all mopey now! Merlin, why did her mum always have this affect on her? She always seemed to bring out Rose's emotions.

"No," Hermione answered quietly. "When you get hurt, you may bleed for awhile. You may bruise, the cut may be severely deep and it will hurt when you try to mend it. And sometimes, Rose, it leaves behind a scar that even magic cannot fix."

Dinner was surprisingly more pleasant than Rose expected. Probably because the table was so crowded, and she was able to join in conversations without feeling like she had to. Albus seemed surprisingly quieter than usual, but everyone else was lively and animated. The talk mostly centered around the two missing people from dinner: Scorpius and Lily. They hadn't showed up or bothered to send an owl. Their disappearance actually made Rose feel worse because that meant she didn't know what they were doing. Her imagination was crueler than anything she had seen from the two of them.

At least the food was good, she thought. Grandma Weasley had outdone herself like always, and by the time Rose got to the strawberry shortcake for dessert she felt like she might bust from her jeans.

Rose's father had finally joined them for dinner but he and Hermione were the first to leave so Hugo could get home at a decent hour—apparently he was grounded. Rose made a mental note to find out why. Teddy and Victoire departed next, and Rose immediately got up from the table to help with the dishes. With numbers dying down, that was her cue to get out of there. Even though she had done a pretty good job at conversations, her mind still went back to Scorpius every few minutes. Of course they probably needed to talk about what happened but Rose had wanted to avoid that for as long as possible.

What happens after you kiss your ex boyfriend who happens to be married to your cousin?

"W-w-what can I do?" By the time Rose reached the kitchen, the hysterics she was feeling came through in her voice. She gave an awkward cough to cover it up.

Grandma Weasley eyed her for a moment. "Actually, Rose, I'd really appreciate it if you'd carry these old pots to the shed," she replied. "I'm running out of room in this kitchen."

"I'll help you."

It was Albus. He still had that apprehensive look in his eyes, like he wasn't sure if Rose would ever forgive him about training to be an Auror behind her back. She had forgiven him, of course, but Al always wore guilt like a heavy coat.

"Sure thing, Gran."

Rose and Albus carried the copper pots through the garden toward the shed where all the Quidditch supplies was kept. The shed was covered in white chipped paint and looked rather small but the inside had been magically enlarged. It was sort of like stepping into an attic—old car parts, picture frames, candles and other random supplies scattered along the dusty shelves.

"Do you remember when we stayed the night out here during the full moon, just because Fred and James dared us too?" Albus asked, smiling wistfully and setting a few pots into a nook.

"Better than the Shrieking Shack, if I remember," Rose pointed out. She busted out in a laugh, unable to control herself. "And Fred used a charm to morph his face into a werewolf. Scared the shit out of Vinny."

Albus was laughing too. "I didn't think Fred was smart enough to know a charm like that."

"Probably asked Roxy."

"Probably."

They were silent as they managed to find a spot for all the pots. When they were finished, Rose took the time to survey Albus closely, now that they were alone. He looked tired, like an echo of the boy she grew up with. He was always the 'talker' out of the group growing up, the one who could talk them out of trouble and unfortunate situations. Scorpius had his connections, but Albus was just as sly and sneaky. He had a way with words—a way of persuasion. Where James was blunt and rash, Albus calculated everything before speaking.

And right now, he was definitely calculating something.

"What's on your mind?" Rose finally asked, too impatient to wait any longer. She just wanted him to spit it out already.

"I saw you."

"Excuse me?"

"I saw you…with Scorpius."

Oh…_ohhhh_. Not good.

He wasn't looking at her thankfully, because her face would have given it away. Then again, her silence probably did as well. There was no point in denying it either, because there had only been conviction in his tone. No questions. He saw her.

A thousand excuses suddenly rushed through her head: she had lost her mind, he had forced himself on her, the heat was getting to her, she needed closure—but what did it matter? Was there really an excuse for it? Was there an excuse when Scorpius had kissed Lily at that Ministry party? Albus opened his mouth to speak again but Rose cut him off,

"Look, I know what you're going to say—" which was a good thing, because she had no idea what _she_ should say.

"Do you?" Albus asked, cutting her off.

"That I was wrong, and I know that," she went on. "That I shouldn't have kissed him or let him kiss me, or whatever. That it was a mistake and I needed closure—" was that closure, though? That kiss didn't _feel_ like closure. "That it's not fair to Lily, because I could have married him if…if I wanted to." The last bit came out strangled and her voice died away in her throat, burning like acid.

Suddenly the cracked stone steps below her feet seemed rather interesting—they were stained, blues and oranges and reds fading against the hard stone, traces from where Rose and her friends had decided to paint them. Or maybe the faded painted flowers weren't that interesting and facing Albus after admitting such horrible truths was out of the question. Either way she couldn't look up.

"That's not what I was going to say."

This however, did make her look up. "You weren't?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Then what were you going to say?"

"You still love him."

Rose blinked. "What?"

"I was going to say, what are you going to do now? Because I know you still love him."

She couldn't believe he was being so rational about this. Sure, he was definitely closer to Rose than he was Lily but she was still his sister. This rational response only made things worse. At least if Albus screamed at her, she'd be able to get over Scorpius faster. At least that's what she told herself. But Rose had no answer for his question. When it became clear she had nothing to say, Albus went on,

"I love Lily. And I love you. But Scorpius is my best mate." He shook his head. "And I know the both of you are too stubborn to ever admit how you really feel. So why don't you stop being such a chicken shit Rose and man up?"

"I can't." She was surprised by the shaking of her own voice.

Albus scoffed. "You _can't_? The Rose Weasley I knew didn't know that word existed."

"What exactly do you want me to do?" Rose snapped. All the emotions she had been bottling up seemed to explode out of her. "Tell Scorpius that I love him and want him for myself? That he can't be with Lily? Then what happens to her, huh? What kind of monster would that make me?"

"An honest one," Albus replied. "No one's perfect, Rosie. We all make mistakes. But I can't stand seeing you this way."

Rose flinched back. "What way?"

"This—" he gestured toward her "—broken china doll. I know you, Rose. And I know when you're trying to act tough and brave. But you're _human_. You fall and break just like everyone else."

"So you're saying I should just try to break up your sister and best friend's marriage?" Phrasing it this way made Rose even angrier. But that bratty inner voice of hers, the one that reminded her of Lucy, said, _but you had him first_.

"I'm not saying you should do anything of the sort," Albus replied. "I'm saying you should talk to him. And maybe even Lily."

Rose shook her head. "It's not that simple."

He marched over to do the door and glanced behind him. "Look, I know this isn't my business and believe me, I've tried to stay out of it. But you guys need to figure this out. It's not fair to either of you, and it's not fair to Lily."

He slammed the door and left Rose staring at an insect caught in a spider's web. Funny, she felt the same way. _Tomorrow_, she told herself. Tomorrow she'd go see Scorpius. Tomorrow she would either jump into his arms or walk away forever.

* * *

When tomorrow actually came, it was more nerve racking than fighting Dementors and dark wizards. Rose could do that just fine. She could handle just about anything the Aurors through her way. But this, standing in front of Malfoy Manor, about to face Scorpius, was worse than any test she had taken. She had just rung the bell and the echo from inside had reverberated in her own ears. Any minute now Alfred, the wise Malfoy Head Butler, would open the door. Rose hadn't seen him in years, but distinctly remembered his usual black and white suit, snow white hair and tall black hat.

But it wasn't Alfred who answered.

It was Scorpius.

"Rose?" Surprise, so odd on his face, was evident. "What are you doing here?"

She realized her hand was still up, as though prepared to pull the bell once more. Her fingers curled, fist clutching, and she dropped her hand. Looking at him now, when the sun caught the gold in his hair and the way his eyes sparkled with a kind of mischief and desire, did Rose realize two things: one, she was going to be honest with him and tell him everything. And two, she couldn't walk away forever unless she truly believed he was happy.

"I wanted to ask you a few questions."

He frowned, crossing his arms and leaning against the door frame. She could see his mind whirling. "Is this an interrogation?"

"Not exactly."

"Why don't you come in, then? Or would you rather continue this conversation on my doorstep?"

Rose didn't like how this conversation was going. She was calling the shots here. She decided his question didn't deserve a response, so she stormed past him into the manor. She knew her way around well, well enough to find the drawing room. The corridors were lined with red carpet and marbled floors, portraits hanging along the walls. The manor was spacious, a sort of gothic fairytale castle. It was all peaks and turrets, hundreds of windows that kept the house elves busy year round.

But it was familiar to Rose. She had been here, stayed here, slept here, many times in the past. She found the drawing room and let herself inside, not bothering to see if Scorpius was behind her. He was an Auror in training like her, she thought bitterly. He could move without being heard.

She sat herself on a soft velvet chair near the crackling fire. The wood paneled walls gave a sort of homey feel to the house, along with the emerald paint and large paintings. This was one of Rose's favorite rooms, and she always enjoyed the Malfoy portraits that hung along the walls. Scorpius's Great-Grandfather Abraxas was a hoot.

Scorpius closed the door with a soft click.

"Would you like something to drink?" he offered. Always polite. "Tea, coffee, whiskey?"

"No, thank you." Rose hated how formal they sounded. It was like they didn't know each other at all.

"Just the questions, then." He slid into the armchair across from her. He looked calm and laidback, mirroring the opposite of how Rose felt. She was barely able to hold it together.

"I just have a few and then I'll be on my way."

"How about five."

Rose stared at him. "You can't tell me how many questions I can or cannot ask."

"No, but I can tell you how many I'll answer."

She scoffed. Always, always Scorpius had to be in charge. Had to call the shots. This was another infuriating factor about him.

"Fine!" she snapped. "Why did you kiss me?"

Scorpius raised a brow. "I've kissed you many times."

"You know when I'm talking about." Why was he always so evasive? She had forgotten how she must word her questions around him. No loopholes. "When we were on your _honeymoon_."

"Because I wanted to."

This was another annoying trait of his. On one hand, he'd answer without really answering. On another, he'd be so blunt that it'd smack you right in the face. Which was actually worse, Rose wasn't sure.

"Why did you want to?" she asked.

"Do you want to waste a question on that?"

"Are you wanting to avoid the question?"

"That's three, you know," he pointed out. "You only have two left."

Rose threw up her hands. "That last one doesn't count and you know it. Answer the damn question, Scorpius—the real one. Why did you want to kiss me?"

He looked at her for a long moment, the scrutiny almost uncomfortable. She held her ground though, refusing to look away.

"Why would I not want to kiss you?"

"You can't answer a question with a question."

"Says who?" He raised a brow, looking amused. "You're telling me how I can and can't answer questions? That doesn't seem fair."

"But you aren't answering!" This was getting them nowhere. She really should have known better than to play in to his stupid games. "You're avoiding answer, like always. You say I always run but you always avoid. It's the same thing."

"Fine." He leaned forward. A few sandy curls fell across his eyes. "I don't have a definite reason. I wanted to kiss you because that's how it's always been."

She wanted to ask what that was supposed to mean, but it didn't seem worth wasting a question. So instead she asked, "Do you regret going to Paris?"

"Do you regret staying here?"

She smiled wryly. "You're doing it again."

"Both questions are on the same spectrum. It's only fair if I answer, you do the same."

It was like being back at Hogwarts—nobody wanting to own up to their inner feelings, back when your friends told the boy you liked that you liked them. Back when passing notes in class gave you butterflies and when you snuck off for a late night snog in the corridors.

"I don't regret finishing my training," Rose said carefully. "But I regret how things turned out."

"And how's that?"

"I'm asking the questions here." She sat back in her chair. "Now answer."

"I don't believe in regrets," he said. She shouldn't have been surprised by this. "I believe everything happens for a reason."

"How enlightening."

Scorpius leaned forward so his face rested on his hands, elbows digging into his thighs. He fixated her with a pointed stare. "You have two more questions."

"Why did you marry Lily? No lies. You owe me the truth."

It was something she had been dying to know. He had never once answered this. He had avoided it, like most personal questions. The problem was that Rose had never truly pushed this question. At first she thought it was because finding out if he loved Lily or not seemed more important. Now however, she realized it was because she had been afraid of the answer.

Scorpius swallowed. Rose could tell he was formulating an answer. He sat back, deep in thought. His grey eyes had lost all amusement. There was something in them now, something true and pure. He was going to be honest with her. She could see that now.

But could she handle it?

"When you turned me down the last time, I was angry," he said quietly. "So angry, because I was risking everything to get you to Paris with me. I had figured out a place for us to live, a training program for each of us, a way we could be together and train at the same time. I wanted to surprise you." He frowned and Rose felt her heart hammering inside her chest. "So I told myself I'd get over you and let you go. That if you really wanted to marry me, you would have. So I tried to get over you with Lily. She was lonely in Paris and made nice company. I enjoyed being around her and saw an opportunity arise. I convinced myself that if I married her, I'd have no choice but to eventually love her like I do you."

Rose should have been mildly disgusted with what he was saying. That he had basically used Lily as a means of getting over their past relationship. Scorpius was a drastic individual and had always been. To him, his marriage was strategic and made sense, not out of devoted love. This made Rose both relieved and appalled.

Yet relief was the dominating feeling because his last few words had seemed to erase everything else.

"You…still love me?" Rose was surprised by the choking sound that was her voice. Where had the strength gone?

"Is that your final question?"

She nodded, unable to speak.

"Do I still love you?" He made a sound, a sort of pained laugh. "Rosie, I never _stopped_ loving you."

Somehow with that once sentence, everything in the universe changed. It was like the color had come back into the world and Rose could actually breathe without a gaping hole in her chest. Everything wasn't fixed, she wasn't healed entirely, but her scar had been kissed.

"Did it work?" she asked, clearing her throat. "Were you able to love her like you do me?"

This was, if possible, one of the hardest questions she had asked. It wasn't one she wanted the answer to, but felt rather like she had to know. She had told herself if he was truly happy, she'd be able to walk away. And if he loved Lily, _really_ loved her, well…maybe she could force herself to accept it and move on.

A ghost of a smirk graced his lips. "You're all out of questions, Rose."

* * *

**A/N: The scene doesn't end here...=) Anyway, I hope this gives you all a little insight on Scorpius. His logic isn't rational by any means but that's Scorpius for you, lol. Thank you for reading..would love to hear from you.**


	10. Surrender

**A/N: So this chapter is a bit fluffy..for me, at least. But I think at this point the characters deserve a little fluff. :P Also we're coming to the end of this story. (It's only a novella after all) There will be one or two more chapters and that's it! Thanks for sticking with me so far. Enjoy!**

**P.S. did anyone see the final Harry Potter movie yet? I went at midnight on Thursday..wahoo! I really liked it. Not as good as the book of course, but still good. Snape = epic win.**

* * *

"Whatever it takes or how my heart breaks  
I will be right here waiting for you." - _Right Here Waiting_, Richard Marx

**Chapter 10 - Surrender**

"I just need to know." Rose's words sounded clumsy, off balance to his eloquence. "I just need to hear you say that you love her and want her and are happy. If I hear you say it, then maybe I can accept it. And then we can all move on from this."

The words tasted like acid spilling from her mouth. She didn't _want _to accept any of this. She didn't want to believe that Scorpius could love and want and be happy with anyone but her. But want and could were two separate things. She was strong—strong enough to let go if it was the right thing. She _could _do that, even if she didn't _want _to.

Scorpius's lips pursed in the way that meant he was calculating his response. Rose braced herself.

"What if I said I did love her in a way, but not like I love you," he replied. "That part of me knows it makes sense to want her, but not like I want you. And while I might be happy in some ways, it doesn't compare to how happy I am when I'm with you."

Rose sucked in a breath. Scorpius had stood and he pulled her to her feet, holding her wrists and keeping her steady. His heavy gaze never left hers as he placed a stranded piece of auburn hair behind her ear and whispered,

"When I said _I do_, I pretended it was you."

She closed her eyes tightly, the feel of his cool breath across her face sending a shiver down her spine. She begged herself not to cry.

"How could you do this to me," she whispered. "How could you marry her if you still…if you still felt something for me." A flash of anger and agony suddenly ripped through her. "How could you make me _watch _it?"

"I didn't make you watch anything," he pointed out.

"How could I not?" Her voice had taken on a shrilling tone that had often been mistaken as her mother's. "She was my cousin, Scorpius! My cousin that you _cheated on me with_!"

"I know." Pain, so rare on his face, flashed in his eyes. "I know I was wrong, Rose. I know that I hurt you."

"Hurt me?" She took a step away from him. "You _destroyed _me, Scorpius. I sat back and watched the one person I loved more than anyone marry someone else! Do you know how that feels? Do you have any idea?"

"If you cared so much why didn't you say anything?" Now her temper was matched by his own. His grey eyes burned into hers.

"It wasn't my place!"

He scoffed. "You know why no one felt sorry for you? Because everyone thought you didn't care, know why? Because you didn't do a damn thing about it."

He might as well of punched her in the face. It was the same thing that Mr. Malfoy and even Dom had said to her. _If you want it, go after it Rose_. He closed the distance between them, looking down at her with a guarded and tight expression.

"The Rose Weasley I knew fought for what she wanted," he said coldly. "She only surrendered when she didn't care about winning."

"Maybe you weren't worth it."

Silence.

His expression didn't falter but Rose knew hers did. She didn't mean that. It was her own pride and temper getting the best of her, controlling the words that came out of her mouth. If her words hurt him, he didn't show it.

"Worth the pain? Or the love?" he asked.

Rose said nothing and stared at the ground. An unwanted tear slipped down her cheek. She didn't bother wiping it away. Her long hair covered it up anyway.

"I can't do this," she said, nearly choking on her voice. She needed to get out of there before she broke down even further.

"Rose, look at me."

She didn't. She wouldn't. She was letting herself get caught up in the past. She needed to leave. To run somewhere far away. Far enough away that she didn't have to hear about Scorpius and Lily and their promising future. About their little redheaded prodigy children or financial gains. About their perfect life.

"Rosie," Scorpius said again, placing a hand gently below her chin and forcing her to look at him. "I love you. I've loved you since I was eleven and nothing will ever change that."

"Sometimes love isn't enough," she said quietly, repeating her mother's words. Damn she hated her mother being right.

"And sometimes it is." He pulled back and only then did she see his hands—pale, smooth hands that stroked her face. No sliver of silver showed on his finger.

"Where's your ring?" Rose asked, searching his hand as though it might have sunk into his skin. In its absence she realized another thing, something so stupid and obvious. "And where's Lily?"

He now wore a lazy smile. "I don't really need my ring. And I suspect Lily is at her parents' house or with Elena."

"What do you mean?" Something wasn't adding up here. Ever since they got home from Korra Island, Rose hadn't seen or heard much from Lily or Scorpius. No one had.

"I called it off, Rose," he said gently. "Lily and I signed the papers this morning."

The universe had shifted again. This time rotating sideways and twisting the world into something foreign and unfamiliar. He couldn't possibly be…he couldn't have called off their marriage. This just couldn't be real. And yet, the usual gleam to his eyes was real. The smell of rich mahogany was real. The smoothness of his hands, the warmth of his touch—that was real.

It took Rose several minutes to find her voice and when she did it came out in a whisper. "What did she say?"

"She said a lot of things." He made a face. "Which is understandable. But I think she knew how I felt about you, and knew it hadn't changed. It wasn't fair to either of us to be together, let alone married. Not when I feel what I do for you."

Rose's heart skipped a beat. It had been so long since he talked like this, about them as a couple and how he felt. He had told her he loved her and cared for her thousands of times, and yet it still managed to give her butterflies. Would that ever change?

"Then why were you with her in the first place?"

"I had to try to get over you," he said quietly. He gave a painfully soft laugh. "Merlin knows I tried."

"And?" Did he hear the despair in her voice? She hoped not.

"It didn't work."

She forced herself not to smile. "So what happens now?" she asked.

He looked down at her, that lazy amusement resting in his eyes. "I'm pretty sure you're way over your limit on your questions, Rosie. Now it's my turn."

"You have questions for me?" she asked a bit uneasily.

"One."

She raised a brow. "Only one?"

"Well, it's the only one that matters."

"And?"

He looked her straight in the eye. "Will you be mine, Rosie? Will you forgive me for the pain I've caused to you and your family? Will you forgive me for lying to you, for keeping you unaware of my intentions? Will you forgive me for my impatience? And above all, will you marry me? I don't care if it's today or tomorrow or ten years from now. I want you, all of you, every day until the end of forever. You have no time limit, no rush into marrying me. I will wait as long as it takes."

Rose could barely breathe.

She thought back to their last disaster, the argument before he had left for Paris. "I thought I wasn't worth waiting for."

"Those were your words, not mine." His hands were on her hips, pulling her forward. "Another absurd statement from Rose Weasley added to the records." He tilted his head sideways just enough to survey her face. "What is your answer?"

"You know, that's more than one question," she noted. Her hands had somehow found his chest and were playing with his collar.

"Technically it's five, so we're even." A small smile played at his lips. "Therefore you owe me five answers."

"Yes," she said, smiling wider. It was one of those cliché moments when she truly wanted to shout it from a rooftop. "Yes to all of them."

He pulled her against him and their lips met. It wasn't the kind of kiss they shared in the jungle—not that burning passion that could no longer withstand its boundaries. It wasn't wild and untamed, or completely innocent. It simply felt like:

_Finally.  
_

Whole. Complete. Like the world made sense again. Scorpius had asked her to marry him countless times and only now did Rose truly feel like it was the right time to say yes. Not because he and Lily were over or to get back at her. It had nothing to do with Lily at all.

This was about Rose. And what she wanted.

No matter how much she wanted to pretend otherwise, she loved that Malfoy prat. And he loved her. It was that simple. Maybe they'd get married next week. Maybe in a year, two years, three years. It didn't matter. Rose was finally beginning to understand that, and so was Scorpius. Time and love was irrelevant and putting a limit on either was senseless.

When the two pulled apart, Rose still clung to him. She wanted to take all of him in, the way she might have done years ago. Slightly tan skin, dark blonde hair that fell in waves across his silvery eyes. Full lips, strong jaw, wide shoulders. The confidence he exerted, the arrogance and pride. The fierce determination and strive for perfection. The weird way he liked his coffee and the fact that he straightens his trousers. The witty comebacks, the retorts, and sometimes cruel jokes. His irrationality and the way he made Rose want to pull out her hair in frustration. And yet, beneath all his flaws and pros was her equal. The one person she could truly say completed her.

Scorpius had said he had loved her since he was eleven. She tried to recall the moment she had first realized it herself.

She couldn't. It felt like forever. It had been like this for years. One minute they were fighting and another they were kissing. One minute Scorpius is married and another he's marrying someone else. Off and on. Hot and cold. Fire and ice. Gryffindor and Slytherin.

Some things never change.

"You know," Rose mused, "I sort of thought when I did say yes to you we'd be somewhere romantic."

"That's very cliché," Scorpius replied. He twirled a curl behind her ear. "And you would have expected it. It's hard to catch you off guard."

"I was off guard just now," she said honestly. "Except…" She frowned.

He arched a brow. "Except what?"

"Well aren't you supposed to get on one knee or something?" She crossed her arms. "And where's my ring? Honestly, Scorpius. If you really expect me to say yes, you should be more prepared."

"You already did say yes," he pointed out, narrowing his eyes.

"And you're supposed to ask my dad for permission," Rose went on. "You aren't doing anything right, here. Did you even think this thing through at all?"

"I haven't over-analyzed it like you're doing now," he said, mirroring her stance with crossed arms.

She turned her back on him. "My dad would never agree to me marrying you." An odd smirk fell across her face. It wasn't really funny, but the thought of Scorpius approaching Ron Weasley about marrying his daughter sure was.

Scorpius had moved toward the large desk and was fiddling with something. A drawer, it sounded like. Papers, books. Whatever was inside.

"You seem to doubt me, Rosie." She shrugged carelessly but said nothing. "Do you have that little faith in me?"

"I think you overestimate yourself."

Silence, and then, "No, I don't think so."

"And why's that?"

"Because he said yes."

Rose dropped her teasing façade and turned around sharply. She gasped. He had dropped to one knee and held a small black box in one hand.

"Knee," he said, pointing toward his knee and then to the box in his hand. "Ring."

Taking pleasure in her dumbfounded expression, Scorpius's lips turned up in a half smirk half smile. He flipped open the box to reveal a magnificent square diamond ring. It was emerald green, surrounded by smaller diamonds. The diamonds expanded along the band so the entire thing sparkled like a fallen star. There was a sort of timeless elegance to it.

"_Now_ will you marry me, Rose Weasley?" His tone was serious but it wasn't enough to hide the fine hint of amusement. "Again?"

"Yes," she breathed. "Again." She smiled. "It's beautiful, Scorpius."

"This belonged to my mother," he said. "It's been in the Malfoy family for years."

Seeing this ring reminded Rose of Lily and her large, colorless diamond. It was beautiful of course. Yet this ring…

"You, you didn't give this to Lily?" Rose asked. Her hand had somehow snaked its way toward the ring. It was just so shiny…

"No." He slipped it on her left hand and stood up. "This has always belonged to you."

Rose lifted her hand to examine it closer. Emerald was never her favorite color but seeing it here, like this…well, she could definitely get used to it. She glanced up, searching Scorpius's face.

"Did you really talk to my dad?" The idea was so far fetched that she couldn't even picture it.

"I did," said Scorpius, nodding. "Late last night at the Ministry."

"And how did that go?" Rose could barely hold back laughter.

"Not as badly as I thought." Scorpius kissed her forehead. "I deserved everything he said and more."

"How'd you get him to say yes?" Not that it mattered. Rose would marry whoever she pleased. But it was still a nice thought.

Scorpius glanced down at her, eyes sparkling with amusement. "He seemed to think you still loved me."

"I never stopped," she said, throwing his words back at him. He smiled and pulled her close, kissing her deeply.

Rose got lost in the kiss once more. It was like an alcoholic being given alcohol after years of being clean. Familiar and wonderful and perfect. Her hands slithered into his wavy hair while he explored the curves of her back. She could feel her heart racing and forced herself to pull back to breathe.

"This is crazy," she gasped. Her logical sense was beginning to resurface. She had to stay sane and forget the glorious physical aspects of being with Scorpius. "You just ended a marriage. We…we can't do this right now."

He clutched her hands to his chest. She could feel his heart racing as quickly as hers, and yet his words were smooth and calm,

"I already told you. I don't care when you marry me, Rose. The fact that you said yes is enough for me. I don't deserve you but I'm willing to spend the rest of my life making it up to you."

A wry smile formed on her face. "How will you make it up to me?"

He thought about it for a moment. "Stuff."

"Stuff?" She looked at him oddly. The word sounded foreign coming from him. "Like what kind of stuff?"

He pressed his lips to hers, smiling. "Stuff like this."

* * *

Lily sat in a heap on the ground, arms wrapped around her tucked up legs. The bottom of her dress was filthy and her normally silky red hair was wet, sticking uncomfortably to her neck. She didn't know how long she had been sitting here or care for the matter. Her only company had been a large sewer rat. The creature hadn't bothered her so she didn't bother it. She knew she should probably leave—everyone was bound to find out she was missing. Scorpius thought she was with Elena, Elena thought she was with her family, her family thought she was with Scorpius, etc. The web of lies didn't seem much of matter at the moment though.

She just needed an escape, a place to get away from everyone for awhile. Granted, this wasn't ideal but at least no one would come looking for her here.

A door creaked from behind. She didn't bother to look up. It was probably Madam Rosmerta, kicking her out of the alley. Something brushed Lily's arm and she felt the presence of someone taking a seat next to her. The smell was familiar and registered immediately. For some reason she wasn't surprised he found her.

She turned and stifled a cold, bitter laugh. "I know what you're going to say."

"Do you?" It was Lorcan, of course. His blue eyes seemed to stand out in the dark—his expression thoughtful.

"That I deserve it," said Lily bitterly. "That I should have known Scorpius still loved Rose."

"Actually I was going to say you must be freezing out here." Lorcan shrugged off his jacket and draped it over her bare shoulders. He pulled out his wand and placed a shield charm above them. "It's raining, you know."

She did know that. But did it matter? "Thank you."

"Sure thing."

They sat in silence for a few moments. Lily knew her make-up was probably smeared all over her face—tears and rain having that sort of affect—but she didn't seem bothered. She knew she looked like a wreck, the same way she felt. But it was just Lorcan, and if she was going to look like this in front of anyone, she was glad it was him. Lorcan Scamander, whom she knew wouldn't judge her or hold it against her.

"How'd you find me?" Lily finally asked, breaking the silence.

"I just kept looking in all the places I thought you'd be." Lorcan shrugged. He turned to her and smiled softly. "Knew I'd find you eventually if I didn't stop looking."

"So if you were looking that means my family was too." She bowed her head, guilt now forming in the pit of her stomach. "I've probably worried them."

"I sent a Patronus and told them I found you." When she glanced up, worried, Lorcan added, "I said you were fine but I didn't tell them where we are."

Lily nodded, looking relieved. She wondered when he had sent the Patronus. Had he been watching her from a window of the Three Broomsticks before he had come outside?

"Thank you," she said. "I just don't want to see anyone right now."

"I can leave…"

"_No_," she practically shouted. Surprised at herself, she took a moment to control her voice. "No. I don't mind you. But I just can't handle my family right now. Especially because they're right."

"Right?"

Lily sighed. "I should have never dated him. Especially marry him." There was something wistful in her expression. "I'm not really angry either. I mean, I'm angry at myself...but not at him or Rose. If anything, I really did deserve this."

"It's not about deserving, Lily," Lorcan spoke softly, the way he always did to her. "It's about being honest with yourself and fate and all that."

Lily laughed and wiped away a tear. "I suppose none of us were really honest, were we? I was living a fairytale…and I don't know what I was thinking or what I was trying to prove."

"Maybe you were trying to prove that you can have something everyone else can't."

Lily glanced up, horrified. "What?"

"You always said you felt inferior to your brothers," said Lorcan. "That you lived in their shadow."

"What's your point?" she pressed.

"Well, maybe Scorpius made you feel not like a shadow anymore." It truly amazed her how accurate Lorcan was, how much he could read her own thoughts before she herself knew what they meant. "He was the most popular wizard in school. You've always regarded him highly, as some untouchable being. And he made you feel special."

Lily played with her hands and looked down. "He did. He made me feel...better about myself."

"Lily, you are a wonderful person." Lorcan's tone was almost angry. "How could you think otherwise?"

"It's easy for you," she said quietly. "You don't have my last name. You aren't related to Albus and James Potter, legends at Hogwarts. Not to mention my dad."

"You should be proud of who you are."

"I am!" Lily looked up, hurt and upset. "Of course I am. But I'm not like my brothers. You know that. I'm not...outgoing and social. I don't like Quidditch very much and I hate duelling. I wasn't...what everyone expected a Potter to be."

"Well I think you've exceeded their expectations, Miss Potter," Lorcan reached over and cupped her hands. His were warm and comforting. "And confidence booster or not, you married Scorpius because some part of you loved him."

"I know." She choked back a sob and something flashed in her eyes. "But I don't want to be someone's second choice. I want to be first. I want to be somebody's Rose."

Silence, and then,

"You already are."

Lily turned to look at him, eyes blurry and mouth wide. "What?"

Lorcan smiled uneasily. "You've always been my first choice, Lily." He ran a hand through his tasseled bronze hair and gave a shaky laugh. "No going back now, I suppose."

"Lorcan…I…" Lily opened her mouth and closed it again. "Why didn't you say anything to me?"

"I wanted to," he said desperately, "so badly. But you seemed so happy…and that's all I wanted."

Lily stared at him for what felt like a long time, searching his deep eyes, the face that was most familiar to her. His lashes were so black and long the water seemed to stick to them and his lips were pouting in the way that meant he was unsure with himself. His eyes a cool icy blue, but not holding the cold note that Scorpius's always did. Lorcan was very handsome, Lily had always thought so. They had grown up in Hufflepuff together, shared laughs and tears and even a few fights.

She thought back to first year when she had been crying in the bathroom. A boy in Defense Against the Dark Arts had called her nasty names because she couldn't get a spell right; saying she probably wasn't even a Potter at all. Her dad had told her about Moaning Myrtle's bathroom—that students always steered away from it. It was there she found solace, and there she had been surprised to be found not by Myrtle, not even by a girl, but by Lorcan Scamander.

_"Are you okay?"  
_

_The timid voice broke Lily's sobs and she glanced up, teary eyed. The blue eyes registered first. She knew this face. This boy was in her year and house. Lorcan Scamander. Her parents were friends with his parents. They had been around each other a few times but Lorcan always stuck around his older brother and Albus when that happened. The Scamander's were travelers so these rendezvous weren't very common. Lily and Lorcan weren't really friends. She doubted he even remembered her.  
_

_"Leave me alone," Lily snapped at him.  
_

_Lorcan stood there for a moment, arms full with heavy books. He wasn't very big and looked like he was about to fall over from the weight.  
_

_"Okay," he said. "I'll leave you alone. Do you mind if I sit in the stall next to yours?"  
_

_Lily stared at him. "This is a girls, bathroom."  
_

_"I know that." He fidgeted slightly. "But I like a quiet place to think. And you know how noisy the common room gets."  
_

_"But I was here first." She knew she sounded childish but she had a point to make.  
_

_Lorcan glanced around. "It's a big bathroom."  
_

_"But it's still a girls bathroom," Lily reminded him.  
_

_"I won't tell anyone you were here if you don't tell anyone I was here."  
_

_Lily thought about it for a moment. He sounded sincere but she truthfully didn't know him. They had only been at school a week so ties and friendships were still being treated fragilely. But even amongst her inner debate she really didn't want anyone to know she had been here…especially her brothers.  
_

_"Okay." Lily sighed. "You can stay."  
_

_Lorcan smiled. It was warm and pleasant. "Thanks."  
_

_He slid into the stall next to hers and she heard the sound of him plopping on the ground. She sat in silence, waiting for him to speak. He said he wouldn't but she sort of thought he would. A few minutes went by when she decided to break the silence herself,  
_

_"My name is —"  
_

_"Lily," he said. "I know. Like the flower. Pretty name. I'm Lorcan Scamander. We've met before, if you didn't know."  
_

_She sat back against the toilet, stunned. It was the first time someone had referred to her that way. Not James's little sister, not Albus's little sister, not Lily Potter II, not Potter—nothing to do with Potter at all. Just Lily.  
_

_She smiled.  
_

_"Thank you, Lorcan," she said. "And I did know."_

The memory brought a smile to her lips. She and Lorcan had made Myrtle's bathroom their secret place, where they met if they wanted to talk. Myrtle had been nice enough, or well, nice as she could be, and let them share her bathroom. Lily suspected the ghost secretly enjoyed the company. All those years ago and still Lorcan was able to find her when she was upset. He was her best friend…the only person she really felt comfortable with.

And yet she hadn't really taken the time to consider Lorcan a potential boyfriend. She had been afraid to bridge the space between friendship and a relationship. She had seen the fights between Rose and Scorpius at school, seen the girls James had crushed. She didn't want that to happen to her. So she sealed herself off from such relationships for many years.

Until now.

"Do you think it's possible to travel down a road, thinking you're at the end, only to find you went the wrong way?" Lily asked quietly.

Lorcan took a moment to consider before answering,

"I think we all take the wrong paths sometimes," he said. "But what's important is that we find our way back to the correct one."

"I think I know where to go now."

Lorcan cocked a brow. "Do you?"

"Yes." Lily smiled at him. "I need to do something."

"And what's that?"

"Something I should have done a long time ago."

Feeling bolder than she ever had in her life, she leaned in and kissed him. He smiled into her lips and she thought, _this is what it's supposed to feel like_, before he pulled her closer.

* * *

**A/N: I warned you..lots of fluff, lol. Do we like Lily a bit more now? She really wasn't meant to be the villain of this story at all. A lot of "other girls" in Scorose fics are portrayed as well, bitchy and mean, and I didn't want to do that. Lily is niave and lacks confidence. Someone like Scorpius appealed to her greatly because it made her feel like the Potter she 'should' be. As you can see by how she's written in this chapter in comparison to the others, Lorcan is really the person she's herself around.**

**This story was really about how sometimes you travel down a road in the hopes of finding something glorious, only to realize it's been there all along staring you straight in the face. That's the case with both Rose/Scorpius and Lily/Lorcan. Since this is still Rose's story, I didn't dive into a huge past between Lily and Lorcan so I apologize if it seems random. I did have it planned from the start though.**

**Reviews are always appreciated. =) **


	11. Epilogue

**A/N: Here it is guys. The last chapter/epilogue. Hope you like it!**

* * *

"Wrapped in your arms, I'm home." - _Wrapped in Your Arms_, Fireflight

**Epilogue - White**

* * *

_One year later_

* * *

Rose Weasley was gazing at the array of roses surrounding her. Like a blank canvas, there wasn't a single splash of color. They were pure white, a soft and silky texture. Behind Rose, gentle hands worked their way through her thick auburn hair.

"Your curls are done," said Hermione. Rose glanced up from the roses, looking directly at her own reflection in the vanity mirror. Her mother bent down so their faces were side by side. She smiled. "Let's leave it down and pin back a few curls."

Rose really hadn't thought of how else to do her hair, so she let her mum do as she desired.

There was a creak of wood. The door on the opposite wall opened and Dom strode into the room, stunning in her long silver gown. Her blonde hair was curled in tight ribbons, the silver in her dress bringing out the blue tint to her eyes. She looked like an icy queen.

"The boys are about to take their places," she announced. She gave Rose a once look-over and a lazy smirk spread across her red painted lips. "Are you about ready, princess?"

"Definitely ready," Rose answered without hesitation, smiling. "Where's Vinny?"

"Lavatory." Dom rolled her eyes. "She ate something with shellfish on accident when we grabbed lunch earlier."

Rose groaned. Vinny was allergic to almost everything. "Well give her a potion or something."

"Because I carry those around all the time," Dom replied. She looked to Hermione, sighing heavily as though this problem was her own personal burden. "Would you mind, Aunt Hermione, doing something for Vinny? I'd really hate for her to pass out up there."

"I'm not a healer, you know."

"Might as well be Mrs. Know-It-All," Rose muttered under her breath. She scowled as her mother tugged a bit too roughly on her hair.

"Done," said Hermione sweetly. "I'll go find Ginny—she's the expert. I should probably get down there anyway. The procession will be starting soon." She leaned down again and looked at Rose through the mirror. Rose couldn't help but see such a striking resemblance between herself and her mother, one she hadn't really noticed as predominant before: rose tinted cheeks, small nose, thick hair, the same basic facial structure. "You look beautiful, my little Rose. And I am so happy for you."

"Thanks mum," said Rose, trying not to get choked up. She smiled into the mirror and Hermione bent down and kissed her gently on the cheek.

Dom followed Hermione from the room, promising to return with a perfectly healed Vinny. Rose was left alone, possibly for the first time all day, as she stared at her reflection. Her hazel eyes were brushed with a dark shadow that brought out the green flecks in her eyes. Hermione had done as she said, pinning back pieces of curls with diamond crusted pins. Her rosy cheeks needed no blush, and she wore lip balm for moisture, never really being a fan of lipstick. Looking at her reflection now, it was hard to imagine the face of the eleven year old Rose Weasley, the one that first met Scorpius Malfoy on the Hogwarts Express. It was even harder to imagine telling that Rose that one day she would marry that arrogant, smug little brat.

"_You lied to me."_

_Rose looked up from her book, prepared to scowl at being interrupted, but found her mouth only parted in slight shock._

"_What are you doing in here?" she asked, completely aghast. "This is the _Gryffindor_ Common Room."_

"_Well observed," said Scorpius. He wore his Slytherin robes but looked completely at ease leaning against the fireplace. "As it were, I was invited."_

"_By whom?"Rose demanded._

"_Your cousin, actually." He gave a swift nod to the other side of the common room, where, Rose found, Albus was absorbed in a game of Wizards Chess with a boy she didn't recognize. _

"_But…" Rose blinked. "Albus is in Slytherin too."_

"_True," Scorpius agreed. "But James is in your house. And since they're brothers…well you can't expect them to stay in different houses all the time, can you?"_

_The fact that two Slytherins were in the Gryffindor Common Room and apparently no one but Rose was noticing bothered her. Or the fact that they noticed but didn't care, which bothered her more. Professor Longbottom had stressed the importance of friendliness amongst the houses, but still!_

"_Yeah…but—" Suddenly Scorpius's opening words came back to her in a rush. She placed a marker in her book and sat it on the floor. "What do you mean I lied to you?"_

_Scorpius crossed his arms and tilted his head down, looking at her through his long lashes. "You said on the train you've never heard of me. And that's just not true, according to Albus."_

"_Do you always listen to everything Albus says?" Rose snapped back._

_"Do you always lie to cover up the truth?"_

_Rose gasped. "No!"_

_"Sure sounds like it, Weasley." Scorpius moved away from the wall and started walking toward Albus. "And for the record, you're terrible at lying."_

It was true, Rose thought, thinking back to her first year. She had always been a rotten liar. It was something about her eyes, Scorpius always said, that gave away the truth. Not that she usually needed a reason to lie in the first place, but he always seemed to see straight through her.

So did her dad.

As if on cue, Ron Weasley sauntered into the room and closed the door behind him. He wore a new set of midnight colored dress robes, and even his hair looked tidier than usual. He took one look at his daughter, his expression all over the place, before he sulked his way to her.

"Don't even look at me like that," Rose told him sternly, rising from her chair. "I'm not running away or deciding I want to spend the rest of my life pole dancing."

"That's what normal daughters do," said Ron. "Weird piercings, tattoos, sneaking off into the night." He sighed. "They usually give their father's a reason to demand they stay at home."

Rose smiled and let him pull her into his arms, just like she had as a little girl. "I'm not going anywhere, dad."

"I know," Ron murmured into her hair. "I'm just going to miss seeing you every morning. Who will make my eggs benefick?"

_It was nearing five in the morning in the Weasley household, and it was at this time five year old Rose decided she couldn't possibly sleep another moment. She crept from her bed and down the hallway, not wanting to wake Hugo or her parents. A sort of frenzied glee filled Rose's entire being. Awake, while everyone else was sound asleep! _

_What should she do?_

_Go downstairs first, she thought. She eyed the pail that hung from the fireplace but then dismissed the idea immediately. Her parents never allowed her to use the Floo Network without an adult. She'd be in major trouble, but the thoughts of seeing Albus's face when she appeared in the middle of the night was almost enough to make her do it._

_Almost._

_She glanced at the old fashioned clock that hung above the mantle. Dad would be getting up soon to go to work and mum always made his breakfast. What was it he liked so much? Eggs…eggs benefick? Yeah. That was it. She'd surprise him with breakfast!_

_Now having a purpose, Rose bounced into the kitchen. A copy of Grandma Weasley's cookbook rested on the counter, and Rose flipped through the pages. She could read for the most part but still struggled with the bigger words. She saw one recipe that looked promising, and the picture revealed that—hm, that's strange—Eggs Benedict, it said. _

_Must be similar to eggs benefick._

_An hour later, Ron Weasley cam thumping down the stairs, eyes foggy with sleep. He stepped into the sitting room, letting the morning sun filter through the windows and heat up his face. It took him a moment before things came into focus, but the kitchen was hard to miss._

_It looked like a pack of werewolves had ravaged the tiny room, yet decided to leave a tiny red headed little girl amongst the fray. _

_"Rosie?" Ron blinked and moved into the kitchen quickly. "What happened? What are you doing up?"_

_Rose rubbed a hand across her cheek, leaving some gooey substance behind. Her tangled hair was white from what looked like flour. "I made you breakfast, dad."_

_"Did you?" Ron was trying to keep his composure, now able to fully absorb the chaos of the kitchen: Pots and pans were strung across the floor. Some murky sauce was spilt from the blender. The box of eggs were left open, one cracked on the floor. A glass milk bottle opened and left under the warm window. And—was something burning?_

_"Eggs benefick, your favorite." Rose waddled from the other side of the counter and placed a plated dish on the table. She had already poured a glass of pumpkin juice, only managing to spill a few drops. Ron had no idea what was on that plate, unable to tell the eggs from the toast to the Canadian bacon. Something thick and yellow covered it, drowning it completely. Rose looked at the plate like it was her greatest masterpiece, and then looked back up at Ron. "Do you like it, dad?"_

_"It's—" Rose's eyes widened in anticipation, her dirty fingers knotting together in front of her as she dug her furry little slippers into the ground. "It's perfect," Ron finished. "But only if you promise to eat with me."_

_Rose frowned. "I messed up a few times." An understatement, Ron thought. "I only have enough for you."_

_"How about I make you something, then?" Ron asked. He cast a weary look at the stairs. "Before your mum wakes up to feed Hugo."_

_"Okay, dad." Rose brightened and took a seat next to Ron's plate. She wiped a hand across her forehead, leaving more of a mess on her face. "Whew! That's hard work."_

_Ron had pulled out his wand and began clearing up the kitchen. "Thanks for making my favorite, Rosie."_

_"Anything for you, dad." Rose smiled widely. "Anything."_

Rose laughed at the childhood memory. "I suppose I could come by on Sundays and make it for you."

"The recipe seemed to change through the years," Ron noted with a chuckle.

"How terrible was it the first time I made it?"

Ron pulled back and grimaced. "It was pretty bad. But I couldn't tell you that."

The rose that had been placed on the front of his robes was lopsided, and Rose made sure to fix it. "No, you always played along with my wild concoctions." She could have used her wand, but for some reason she wanted to fix the flower manually. It took her a moment, adjusting the sharp pin behind the fabric, before the rose was perfectly straight. She smiled. "All done."

When she glanced up, Ron had an odd look on his face, watching her silently. "What is it?" Rose asked.

"You're all grown up," he said softly, hanging his head like a scolded puppy. "You'll change your name, and I'll have to give you away."

Rose felt her throat constrict. She had promised herself she wouldn't get emotional. Her mother had been wise enough to cry out of Rose's sight but apparently her father was going to dig the knife deep. He just looked so…she couldn't describe it. He sort of looked like a toy that no longer worked properly. Rose leaned her head forward so their foreheads touched, and closed her eyes. Her dad held her steadily by the shoulders.

"My last name might change, but I'll always be your little girl," she whispered, swallowing hard.

"Always," Ron murmured. He pulled back after a moment, and wiped a tear that had slipped down Rose's cheek. He smiled ever so slightly. "If I'm not allowed to cry, you aren't either."

She laughed and wiped under her eyes. "Why did you say yes, anyway? I mean, I thought you didn't like Scorpius."

Ron sighed deeply and looked like he had expected this question. "It's not about me, Rosie. It's about you and who makes you happy. Quite frankly, I don't think there's another boy out there that loves you more than he does, Malfoy or not. I saw it in his face—the same look I've seen on my face a million times, thinking about your mother."

"Thanks dad." Rose smiled. "I love you."

"I love you too, Rosie."

* * *

Rose took her place next to two tall double doors, rose bouquet in hand. She glanced down at herself one last time, making sure she looked just right. Her dress was simple, solid white and long with thin capped sleeves. A layer of lace overlay rested across the silky fabric. She wore pearls in her ears, a gift from Mrs. Malfoy, and a matching necklace.

_Elegant, simple and classy_, Rose noted to herself. Just what she wanted.

Standing in front of the doors was Dom, Vinny just having gone through, and thanks to Aunt Ginny, no longer ill. Dom turned slightly and spoke over her shoulder, "Two weddings in less than a month. Has to be a record for our family, don't you think?"

"Well our family isn't exactly the most conventional," Rose said in an undertone. The music that filtered from the other side of the doors was soft and melodic.

"True," said Dom, sighing. "Guess I should have accepted that a long time ago."

"Saw Lysander was on the list." Rose tried to sound nonchalant. "Looks like he made it here after all."

"Yeah well, couldn't resist the opportunity to see -"

"To see _you_," Rose cut in. "He came here for you. Not for me or Scorpius."

Dom shrugged, and Rose thought she'd never understand her best friend's mind when it came to boys. Or more importantly, a boy she actually _liked_. The doors opened, the music increasing a little louder, indicating Dom's turn. With a quick glance to Rose, she said, "Enough about Lysander. It's about time you get your ass married to Scorpius. I was about sick of waiting."

Rose watched Dom disappear, her walk a little bouncier than what was expected for the maid of honor. The doors shut quietly. Rose breathed deeply, anxious. She was next.

"Nervous?" Ron asked, taking his place by Rose's side. She slid her arm in his, relying on his strength to keep her standing.

"Little bit." Huge understatement. "I just hate being stared at." In truth, this was one of those should be trivial things that bothered her. Not the fact that she was about to get married, but everyone standing, staring in her direction.

She was never one for attention.

"Trust me, you won't notice them," said Ron, chuckling. "I think your attention will be elsewhere."

Before Rose could decipher his meaning, the doors opened, the music changing tempo. She was hit with an unexpected brightness as she stepped into the Malfoy's greenhouse—a huge structure surrounded by nothing but shimmering glass. Where Lily's chapel had been a sort of gothic romantic, with gold panels and wooden rafters, this was all white. Everything: the roses that hung in the air and along the carpeted aisle, the seats, the altar. It was all white, and with the way the sun lit up the greenhouse, it turned the room to a sort of golden-silver glow, making Rose think of being trapped in a beautiful snow-less globe.

Ron led Rose over the threshold, and a collective _aww_ filled the glass room, guests rising from their seats. But Rose barely noticed them, or the fact that she was moving forward. Her eyes found Scorpius at the end of the aisle, an expression she couldn't for the life of her decipher on his face.

But that wasn't what made her state at him.

The evening sun seemed to radiate around him, turning his dark blonde hair and silver eyes almost gold. He had traded his usual black robes into solid white ones, matching Rose and the rest of the room. Scorpius, with his shadowy presence and cold eyes, had always given off a sort of dark and forbidding vibe. But now, dressed in all white and practically glowing, it was like looking at some sort of angel. He smiled at her then, a smile so bright and wonderful that it made Rose catch her breath.

Scorpius had always been gorgeous, but this was different. This was a consuming beauty, one that radiated from his entire being and pulled Rose toward him like a moth to a flame. She didn't see anything else in the room and based on the look on his face, she was almost sure he felt the same.

Rose reached him in no time at all, pleasantly surprised that she hadn't noticed a single face in the audience. Her dad had been right—her attention hadn't been on all the watchful eyes on her face. She had only paid attention to one set of eyes. Eyes that were looking at her now, seemingly searching her soul.

Past Scorpius stood Albus and Damon, both wearing dark grey robes. Albus smiled, a knowing glint to his eyes. He looked relieved and at peace, like someone who had just gotten to the end of a book.

Ron turned Rose around and looked at her, the sad look she had seen earlier washed away and replaced with happiness. No words were said—the look on his face said it all. He gave her a soft kiss on the cheek before handing her over to Scorpius.

"This is like a dream," Scorpius murmured quietly, just as the Minister asked the guests to sit down. "I keep thinking you'll be gone when I blink."

"You're not getting rid me of this time," Rose whispered. "You're stuck with me for life."

The corners of his mouth turned up slightly. "Looking forward to it."

Rose turned and handed her bouquet to Dom. And nearly choked. She was surprised to find that her maid of honor's eyes were a little glassy.

"Something in my eye," Dom snapped under her breath. "Turn around and get married, alright?"

"Dearly beloved," began the small, white haired wizard that was sealing the marriage, "we are gathered today to celebrate the union of Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy and Rose Hermione Weasley…"

Rose was trying to look at the Minister, since he was speaking and it sort of felt like the right place to look, but she could feel Scorpius's eyes on her face. She looked at him from under her lashes, a bashful gesture, like someone trying to be sneaky in class.

He cracked a smile and she couldn't help but smile back. Hearing the opening words, hearing _her_ name in that sentence, it made the color in the world shine a little brighter.

The ceremony was brief, and Rose was pleased she didn't mess up on any of her words so far. When Scorpius stared at her like he was doing now, it made her stomach flutter and her brain dislodge from her senses. When it came time for the vows, well, this was the tougher part.

"Scorpius and Rose have opted to declare their own vows, "said the Minister, addressing the congregation. He gave a tiny nod at Scorpius, silently letting him know to proceed.

Scorpius gripped Rose's hands tightly and stared at her, transporting her out of the greenhouse and into their own world. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears. He hadn't told her what he was going to say, and frankly she was a little nervous.

"I Scorpius take you Rose, to be my wife," he began, his voice clear and certain. "I promise to tolerate your obsessive compulsive behavior, and let you win a few arguments every once in awhile. I promise to reorganize the library, because I know disorder drives you mad. I promise to make the bed every morning, because I know how much you hate doing it. I promise I'll never lie to you. I promise to stay by your side no matter what, even if you order me away." He reached into his robes and pulled out the emerald Malfoy ring, sliding it on Rose's ring finger on her left hand. She had tears in her eyes, but she still saw his smile through her blurry vision. "I promise I mean what I say, when I say _I do_. I promise to be the person you deserve, Rosie. I promise I never stopped loving you, and I never will."

Rose was sure she wasn't able to speak. She forced tears down, swallowing hard. She heard several _awws_ and a few choked sobs from the guests. Suddenly her vows went out the window, a powerful sea washing her words away.

She gave a shaky laugh, one that only came out when she was feeling ridiculously nervous. Scorpius looked at her with his lips turned up at the corners, clearly amused at catching her so off guard by his vows.

"Wow," Rose breathed shakily. "That's tough to follow." The guests laughed softly, and immediately Rose felt a little more comfortable, like she had finally drifted from her cloud and landed back on earth. Scorpius was grinning when he reached forward and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

Rose cleared her throat.

"I Rose take you Scorpius, to be my husband—" she began, and then paused. Her vows, which she had rehearsed at least a thousand times, vanished from her mind. _Speak from the heart_, a little voice told her. "I promise to help you see reason when you think you're right when you're really wrong. I promise to let you win a few duels when we practice at work. I promise not to get too annoyed that you color coordinate your closet."

Scorpius was full smile now. "I promise to learn how to make raspberry trifles, because I know they're your favorite," Rose went on. "I promise to trust you, to believe in you, and stand by you." She turned slightly, holding out her hand. Dom plopped a thin silver band in her palm. Rose held it out, slipping it on Scorpius's ring finger. "You asked me if I was sure about this, and I promise I've never been so sure of anything before. I promise to always love you, in this world and the next."

Their eyes locked, a thousand words passing between them.

"On this day, I declare you bonded for life," said the Minister. "Mr. Malfoy, you may kiss your bride."

Scorpius slid a hand behind Rose's neck and pulled her toward him, his lips meeting hers. Rose thought she heard clapping and other strange sounds of congratulations but she was lost in his kiss. A kiss that finally sealed the marriage. Sealed their love. Her hands ran through his soft hair, knotting it in her fingers. He smiled into her mouth, running a finger gently under her chin before pulling away.

A little dazed, Rose turned to face the cheering congregation. Her mother's face jumped out amongst the large crowd, heavy tears falling down her face, Ron clutching her close and fighting tears of his own. Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny were beaming in the row behind her parents, James whoop-whistling and Lorcan Scamander draping an arm around a smiling Lily. Rose held her cousin's gaze for a moment, and they shared a sort of mixed happiness and relief. All awkwardness and animosity had died between the two girls months ago, but the look they shared in this moment seemed to validate their bond of friendship. A bond that had long been lost, and recently reclaimed.

Rose glanced over at Scorpius, cracking a smile. With fingers interlocking, they walked down the aisle and past the guests. In all the years Rose and Scorpius had known each other, neither would hold up the white flag and surrender. They never gave up on each other, and they never would.

"So where does this leave us now, Mrs. Malfoy?" Scorpius whispered in Rose's ear just as they exited the greenhouse.

Rose smiled at her new name, one of the sweetest sounds she'd ever heard. "Together."

"Together," Scorpius repeated quietly, thoughtfully. He pulled her against him and held her in his arms.

_Now I'm home_, Rose thought. She smiled, knowing they'd never have to let go ever again.

_I'm home._

The end.

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**A/N: If you stuck with me this far, thank you so much guys. I wanted this chapter to be sort of a reflection from chapter 1, but obviously a 180 going from sadness to joy. I wouldn't have been able to complete this story, my first ever next generation, without the wonderful support from all you readers. Thank you for that.**

**There is a spin off one shot in Dom's point of view if you want to check it out, called Stripped. ;)**

**Again thank you so much for reading. =) I'd love to hear your final thoughts.**


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